20 Second Timeout

Damian Lillard Earns Third Three Point Title, Knicks Win Shooting Stars, and Keshad Johnson is the 2026 Slam Dunk Contest Champion

NBA All-Star Saturday Night tipped off with the Three Point Contest, which has become the showcase event after living in the shadow of the Slam Dunk Contest from the 1980s through the early 2000s when Pantheon members (including Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant) strutted their high-flying stuff. Rookie Kon Knueppel started strongly with 27 points, setting a pace that few could match. Devin Booker had the highest first round score (30, surpassing his then-record 28 points from the final round in 2018 when he won this event), while Damian Lillard also scored 27 points to join Knueppel and Booker in the final round. Donovan Mitchell (24), Norman Powell (23), Jamal Murray (18), Tyrese Maxey (17), and Bobby Portis (15) failed to advance. In the final round, Knueppel slumped to 17 points, Lillard improved to 29 points, and Booker hit his first nine shots before missing his last three to finish with 27 points.  

This was Lillard's first on-court appearance in a Portland Trail Blazers uniform since rejoing the team last summer after tearing his left Achilles in his last game with the Milwaukee Bucks on April 29, 2025. Lillard played the first 11 seasons of his career with Portland before spending two seasons with the Bucks. Lillard, who previously won this event in 2023 and 2024, joins Larry Bird (1986-88) and Craig Hodges (1990-92) as the Three Point Contest's only three-time champions. I give Lillard credit for putting himself out in public view while recovering from his injury, particularly in an era when so many star players avoid participating in All-Star Saturday Night. In his remarks after winning the event, Lillard noted that fans want to see All-Stars competing hard, and he wanted to do his best to provide that. Let's hope that this spirit of competition carries over to Sunday night's main event. 

The Shooting Stars competition featured teams with a mixture of two current players plus one retired player. It is nice to see retired players have an opportunity to participate in All-Star Weekend. The retired players were Rip Hamilton (who joined Scottie Barnes and Chet Holmgren on Team All-Star), Ron Harper (who joined his sons Dylan Harper and Ron Harper Jr. on Team Harper), Allan Houston (who joined Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns on Team Knicks), and Corey Maggette (who joined Jalen Johnson and Kon Knueppel on Team Cameron). The event's format requires each team member to shoot in the same order from seven different marked spots within 1:10.

Team Knicks posted the first round's highest score (31), and then topped that with 47 in the final round to defeat Team Cameron, which had 38 points in the final round. Houston was also a member of New York's winning team in the 2012 edition of this event, which returned to All-Star Weekend after previously being held from 2004-15.

The Slam Dunk Contest featured four first-time competitors, none of whom have ever been selected as an NBA All-Star: G League player Carter Bryant, the Miami Heat's Keshad Johnson, the L.A. Lakers' Jaxson Hayes, and the Orlando Magic's Jase Richardson (whose father Jason won the Slam Dunk Contest in 2002 and 2003).

The Slam Dunk Contest judges were Dominique Wilkins (Slam Dunk Contest champion in 1985 and 1990), Dwight Howard (2008 Slam Dunk Contest champion), Corey Maggette (2001 Slam Dunk Contest participant), Brent Barry (1996 Slam Dunk Contest champion), and Julius "Dr. J" Erving (1976 ABA Slam Dunk Contest champion, 1984 NBA Slam Dunk Contest runner-up to Larry Nance). 

Full credit to each of the four young players who did their best to put on a show, but neither the dunks nor the star quality come close to matching the entertainment that the Slam Dunk Contest provided during its glory years. Johnson danced and strutted his way to the crown, walking out with Bay Area rap legend E-40 to get the crowd hyped up, soaring over over E-40 on his first dunk, and clinching the title with a between the legs reverse dunk on his final attempt. Bryant earned the lone perfect 50 of the night before falling flat in the final round with a pedestrian dunk after repeatedly missing the fancier dunk that he had originally prepared.

Erving presented the Julius "Dr. J" Erving Slam Dunk Contest trophy to Johnson:

Labels: Allan Houston, Damian Lillard, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Keshad Johnson, NBA All-Star Weekend, New York Knicks, Rick Brunson, Shooting Stars, Slam Dunk Contest, Three Point Contest

posted by David Friedman @ 12:11 PM

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The 2025 NBA Legends Brunch Honors Oscar Robertson, Gary Payton, and Rick Barry, and Features a Panel Discussion With Run TMC

The Legends Brunch is the most meaningful and special NBA All-Star Weekend event; it is important to acknowledge and honor the people who built the sport. I had the privilege of covering the Legends Brunch in person from 2005-2010, and every year that was the highlight of All-Star Weekend for me, along with attending the ABA Reunions in 2005 and 2006. 

Ernie Johnson is the perfect host for the Legends Brunch, and he consistently hits the right notes in terms of when to be serious and when to be humorous. This year ends TNT's four decades of covering the NBA, and during his traditional Legends Brunch poem Johnson expressed gratitude for TNT's long run, and appreciation to the production crew behind the scenes that makes sure everything runs smoothly.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Oscar Robertson. Silver called Robertson "A man of dignity, character, and respect." During a video tribute for Robertson, John Havlicek said that Robertson is the best player he ever played against, quite a statement from a Hall of Famer who spent 16 NBA seasons playing against many of the greatest players of all-time, including Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Julius Erving. Abdul-Jabbar, who played with and against Robertson, termed Robertson a "pioneer in the game of basketball."

During his acceptance speech, Robertson emphasized that his guiding thought has always been, "Situations in life should be as fair as possible." Robertson said that this principle impacted both how he played the game--keeping his teammates involved--and how he worked to represent the players' interests when he served as the President of the Players Association from 1965-74; his friends Jack Twyman and Tommy Heinsohn persuaded him to accept the latter role, and Robertson was one of the "NBA 14" who filed a lawsuit that paved the way for the huge guaranteed salaries that today's NBA players take for granted. Robertson, Archie Clark, Dave Bing, Dave Cowens, and Dave DeBusschere later founded the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA). Robertson said that as a player and as a retired player he sought to partner with the NBA team owners as opposed to having an adversarial relationship with them. Robertson thanked Chris Paul for his role with the Players Association to help the retired players finally obtain health insurance in 2016. Recalling the Legends Brunch's humble beginnings, Robertson looked at the large assembled audience and concluded, "This is magnificent!"

Damian Lillard presented the Hometown Hero Award to Gary Payton. Lillard is a Bay Area native who said that when he was a kid he was inspired by Payton, who was already an established NBA player. Payton said that he is sad that his mother and father did not live long enough to see this moment. He acknowledged that other Bay Area natives--including Jason Kidd, Antonio Davis, and Brian Shaw--could have received the honor instead of him. Payton emphasized the importance of giving back to the community, mentioning that the reason that he took the head coaching job at College of Alameda is that he seeks to positively influence the community, particularly young people.  

Stephen Curry introduced the program's always poignant "In Memoriam" segment. He spoke briefly about Jerry West, Bill Walton, Dikembe Mutombo, and Al Attles. Then, a video tribute accompanied by live music honored other Legends who passed away within the past year. I was a Philadelphia 76ers fan growing up, so three names in particular caught my attention and brought back memories: Pat Williams (the general manager who built the 76ers' 1983 championship team), Joe "Jellybean" Bryant (Kobe's father, who played for the 76ers from 1975-79), and Harold Katz (the 76ers' majority owner from 1981-1996).

Julius Erving, the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1977 and 1983 and an All-NBA First Team member for the 76ers' 1983 championship team, presented the Legend of the Year award to Rick Barry, who spent nine of his 14 professional seasons playing in the Bay Area (eight during two separates stints with the Warriors, plus one with the ABA's Oakland Oaks). Erving said that Barry is "as iconic for his scoring ability as for his style" and that Barry was "a player ahead of his time." Erving added that Barry, who is six years older than he is, "was one of my heroes, and he is still one of my heroes." Erving noted that Barry shared the proceeds from his 1967 All-Star Game MVP award with his teammates, inspiring him to do the same thing. Erving mentioned how often he and Barry spent time together, including going to Israel, coaching in the "Big Three," and doing Spalding commercials. 

During the video tribute to Barry, one of the clips showed Barry saying that he wanted every game to come down to the last 10 seconds with the ball in his hands. Barry also declared that you play the game to be a champion.

After Barry joined Erving on stage, Barry mentioned that his speech was supposed to last just four minutes, and he scoffed that asking him to limit his remarks that way is like asking him to only take 10 shots in a game because he would just be warming up by that point. Barry said that he feels an "extreme sense of gratitude" for receiving the Legend of the Year award. He looked around the crowd, and singled out several people from his journey, including his wife Lynn, who he credited for helping him mellow out during the past 34 years. He also mentioned his oldest son Scooter, who was born just a few months before he won the 1967 All-Star Game MVP. Barry pointed out Clifford Ray, the starting center on Golden State's 1975 championship team, and he said that there is "no one in the world I would rather run the pick and roll with." 

Barry recalled that his father once told him "The older you get the faster the years go by," and he said that those words have proven to be true. Barry reflected on how it feels to be an octogenarian, and he reminisced about the 1967 NBA All-Star Game. Barry did not mention that he scored a game-high 38 points on 16-27 field goal shooting, but he focused on the overall talent level present in that contest and how competitive the players were. Barry noted that 13 of the 20 1967 NBA All-Stars are on the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List; that group includes Pantheon members Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, and Jerry West. Barry recalled that East Coach Red Auerbach was ejected. It is also worth emphasizing that the East attempted 37 free throws and the West attempted 26 free throws in a 135-120 West win. The concept of the league's best players playing hard, playing defense, and committing fouls in an All-Star Game is unimaginable to a generation of players who have been led astray on All-Star Weekend by LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry (as correctly emphasized by Sirius XM NBA Radio host Brian Geltzeiler during the Saturday morning show that he hosts with Sam Mitchell).

Barry said that he can't stand load management and he mentioned that he hated blowouts during his playing career because his minutes would be limited in such games. Barry still misses playing because he loves to compete, and he said that the NBA should add a designated free throw shooter rule so that he can make a comeback (Barry led the league in free throw shooting seven times, and currently ranks eighth in career free throw percentage at .893). Barry's competitive fire is limited these days to fly fishing and pickleball.

The Legends Brunch concluded with a panel discussion with Run TMC hosted by Bob Costas. Ernie Johnson introduced the discussion by saying that he always wanted to be like Costas but never quite measured up. Costas returned the compliment by noting that Johnson had carved his own path as one of the best of all-time.

Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin only spent two years together as Golden State teammates (1989-91) but during that short time they formed lifelong friendships while etching a permanent place in the hearts of fans who fondly recall their on court exploits. The trio's name--a play on words combining the first letters of each of their first names along with the name of legendary rap group Run DMC--was chosen as a result of a fan voting contest. During the panel discussion, Mullin noted that he had "seniority" and knew as soon as he heard the Run TMC option that it was by far the best one. Mullin, who is from Brooklyn, went to high school with Run DMC founding member Darryl McDaniels.  

The trio's short tenure ended when Coach Don Nelson traded Richmond for Billy Owens. Costas recalled that Nelson later called the deal a "no brainer--I had no brain when I made the trade." The Warriors reached the second round of the playoffs in Run TMC's final season together and they did not advance that far in the postseason again until 2007, when Nelson--during his second stint with the franchise--coached the "We Believe" squad that upset the number one seeded Dallas Mavericks. The players were understandably upset that Nelson broke up their trio, but Mullin noted that Nelson "was a visionary" who played small ball and exploited matchup advantages in unconventional ways that he learned during his playing days with the Boston Celtics when the Celtics had a fast team featuring the relatively undersized Dave Cowens at center. Mullin also praised Al Attles for being a mentor to everyone in the Warriors organization, and he spoke about how much he cherished the "brotherhood" that he shared with Hardaway and Richmond through good times and bad times. Mullin said that he felt like he never had an athletic advantage at any level during his basketball career, so he had to rely on his teammates to help him. Hardaway said that Mullin is way too modest, noting that Mullin was a three-time Big East Player of the Year during the Big East's glory years. Hardaway said that Mullin's work ethic and superior conditioning set a great example for him and for Richmond. Hardaway gave a shout out to Archie Clark as the inventor of the crossover move that Hardaway made famous as the "UTEP two step" or "killer crossover." Richmond is the most soft-spoken of the trio, but he told a funny story about receiving some trash talk from Hardaway after he had a poor shooting night and then returning the favor a short while later after Hardaway had an even worse shooting night--0-17 from the field in a December 27, 1991 game versus Minnesota. Hardaway emphasized that the Warriors won that game anyway, and then he had a big performance in his next game (30 points on 13-21 field goal shooting as the Warriors beat the Lakers).

The 2025 NBA Legends Brunch hit the ball out of the park (to use a mixed metaphor), but here is one suggestion for the 2026 edition: resume giving out the Bob Lanier Community Impact Award, named in honor of the Hall of Fame center who played for Detroit and Milwaukee. That award was first presented to Pau Gasol at the 2023 NBA Legends Brunch, and then Jalen Rose received the award last year, presented by Hall of Famer Dave Bing. It is not clear why that award was not presented this year. Lanier devoted his post-playing career to community service and to encouraging players to participate in community service, and his legacy deserves to be honored and remembered.

Selected Previous NBA Legends Recaps:

The 2024 NBA Legends Brunch Honors Tamika Catchings, Jalen Rose, Reggie Miller, and Larry Bird While Also Featuring ABA Panel Discussion (2024)

NBA Legends Brunch Honors Bill Russell, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Pau Gasol (2023)

Jerry West Gives Powerful Speech After Being Honored as NBA Legend of the Year (2022)

Legends Brunch Honors Alonzo Mourning, Five Great Mavs (2010)

NBA Legends Brunch Honors Phoenix' Rich Basketball History (2009)

King James Reigns in Houston (2006 NBA All-Star Weekend)

Labels: Chris Mullin, Damian Lillard, Gary Payton, Julius Erving, Mitch Richmond, NBA All-Star Weekend, NBA Legends Brunch, Oscar Robertson, Rick Barry, Tim Hardaway

posted by David Friedman @ 10:24 AM

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Milwaukee Bucks Beat Philadelphia 76ers 135-127 in Hubie Brown's Final Broadcast

For Hubie Brown, the game is always the most important thing, so in deference to his approach I will focus first on what happened in Hubie Brown's last game as an analyst before shifting my attention to Brown's legacy and the tributes paid to him during a very special and well-produced broadcast.

The Milwaukee Bucks sans two-time regular season MVP and 2021 NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 135-127. Prior to the game, Brown noted that both of these teams must improve defensively, which he emphasized is a collective effort and not just a matter of individual one on one defense. The final score indicates that neither team is a defensive juggernaut, to put it mildly.

Brown's pregame choices for players to watch proved to be very prescient: Damian Lillard scored a season-high and game-high 43 points to lead the Bucks to victory, and Tyrese Maxey scored a team-high 39 points in a valiant effort for the 76ers. Before the game, Brown praised Lillard's three point shooting and his complete game as a scorer/playmaker/rebounder, and he complimented Maxey's complete game plus his unstoppable off the dribble moves. Lillard shot 14-27 from the field--including 8-15 from three point range--while passing for a game-high eight assists and grabbing seven rebounds. Maxey nearly matched Lillard shot for shot and play for play, shooting 16-23 from the field--including 5-10 from beyond the arc--while dishing for five assists and pulling down four rebounds. 

Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points off of the bench for the Bucks, and Bobby Portis added 18 points, a game-high 13 rebounds, and five assists as the Bucks' reserves outscored the 76ers' reserves 54-35. 

The 76ers' purported "Big Three" combined to score 78 points, but this is an example of how numbers can be deceiving. Maxey did as much as he could and he played hard at both ends of the court, but Joel Embiid (27 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, five turnovers) lumbered up and down the court, looked a step and a half slow on defense, and accumulated his statistics based more on size/raw talent than on consistently playing championship-level basketball. Paul George drifted around the court, putting up solid starter numbers (12 points, six assists, five rebounds), but having little impact on the game's outcome.

During a defense-optional first quarter when Milwaukee outscored Philadelphia 40-39, Brown mentioned Lillard's ability to score at all levels, draw fouls, and make free throws, and he noted Lillard's willingness to take the big shot in late game situations. After Lillard made a long three pointer, Brown quipped to his play by play partner Mike Breen, "If he steps back any deeper, he's going to be with you and me at the table."

Brown mentioned how much he loves Philadelphia's Kyle Lowry, who he described as the "heart and soul" of Toronto's 2019 championship team for Coach Nick Nurse before joining Nurse with the 76ers. Lowry, who is battling a hip injury, played just six minutes, and has had a limited impact this season, but the 76ers desperately need more players who play with the energy and hustle he displays when his body is right.

What struck me most during this game is how bad Embiid looks, despite his superficially impressive statistics. Embiid did not jump for rebounds in his area on several possessions, he did not run hard, he rarely fought for low post position, and he did not set strong screens. Embiid spent most of his time on offense drifting around the perimeter, and he did a poor job protecting the paint on defense. Yes, he scored nearly a point per minute while leading the team in rebounds and tying for the team lead in assists, which shows that even at half speed he is still a very productive player statistically--but a team cannot win a championship when its best player is out of shape, does not play hard, and is chronically unavailable. This is not a one game assessment/indictment of Embiid; what he showed during this game--the gaudy numbers and the small impact on team success--is what he has shown throughout his career, and it is sheer folly to believe/expect that he is going to show anything else on the back end of his career. To top things off, sideline reporter Lisa Salters dropped a bombshell: Embiid told her that he will likely need another knee surgery, followed by a long rehab process. Embiid will turn 31 in a month, and he has never played in more than 68 games in a season (a high water mark that he reached in 2022), so it is fair to wonder if he will ever be fully healthy and available to play on a regular basis. 

I have consistently said that it is ridiculous to assert that the 76ers have "tanked to the top" and that if they ever win a championship with Embiid that will happen despite the infamous "Process," not because of it.

The Bucks were ahead 65-63 at halftime even though Maxey had 26 first half points and Embiid had 24 first half points, the first time this season that they both scored at least 20 points in a half. Embiid already looked gassed by the second quarter, and he had just three points in the second half. 

The Bucks led by as many as 25 points in the second half before the 76ers cut the margin during garbage time. Breen asked Brown what went wrong for the 76ers, and Brown succinctly noted the 76ers' two problems: bad shot selection, and not playing as aggressively as they had played in the first half. It should be added that both problems can be traced to the basketball habits of Embiid, the team's most talented player; half of his field goal attempts came from beyond the arc even though he was the biggest and strongest player on the court, and his casual approach to defense is not likely to inspire supreme effort from anyone on his squad. It matters little that Embiid shot a high percentage from beyond the arc (4-7) or that he has a good shooting touch; for the 76ers to be a championship contender, they need for Embiid to dominate the paint while shooting timely three pointers, instead of regularly shooting three pointers while occasionally posting up. If Embiid is not physically capable of playing the right way, then the team should shut him down until his body is right; if he is not willing to play the right way, then the coaching staff and management must confront Embiid about this. 

Throughout the telecast, Brown suggested that at full strength both of these teams are capable of challenging Boston, Cleveland, and New York for conference supremacy. Theoretically, that may be true, but from a practical standpoint it looks highly unlikely that the 76ers will ever be healthy enough or focused enough to advance past the second round (and they are on course to not even make the Play In Tournament this season). As for the Bucks, their ceiling is higher than the 76ers' ceiling: with a healthy Antetokounmpo teaming up with Lillard, Portis, Brook Lopez, and the recently acquired Kyle Kuzma, the Bucks are capable of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, but anything beyond that seems out of reach.

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Milwaukee was the most fitting location for Hubie Brown's final broadcast, because that is where his NBA journey began in 1972 when Larry Costello hired him as his assistant coach (at that time, NBA teams only had one assistant coach, not an army of assistants). During this game, Breen and Brown seamlessly included details about Brown's remarkable basketball journey into the broadcast without detracting from their attention to the live action. 

Brown successfully coached at the high school, college, and professional levels. After working for Costello in Milwaukee, Brown led the Kentucky Colonels to the 1975 ABA title before coaching three NBA teams: Atlanta Hawks (1976-81), New York Knicks (1982-86), Memphis Grizzlies (2002-04). He won the NBA Coach of the Year award in 1978 and 2004, and he finished third in the balloting in three other years (1979-80, 1984). 

Brown first did analysis on nationally televised NBA games for the USA Network in 1981. After he coached the Knicks, Brown did analysis for CBS from late 1986 until 1990, and then he worked for TNT from the early 1990s until he became Memphis' coach in 2002. Brown left the Grizzlies due to unspecified health reasons, but he soon joined ABC/ESPN. Brown was initially the network's lead analyst, and he worked the 2005 and 2006 NBA Finals in that capacity, but then he was replaced as the lead analyst by the Mark Jackson-Jeff Van Gundy duo. Brown continued to do games for ABC/ESPN, and he also did games for ESPN Radio, including 14 NBA Finals. Overall, Brown was a commentator for a record 18 NBA Finals. In addition to his success as both a coach and a commentator, Brown was a tremendous clinician at basketball camps in the U.S. and at basketball camps/clinics held around the world. Breen said that Brown has taught basketball to more people than anyone, and that statement is not hyperbole.

Brown said that his 50-plus years in pro basketball as a coach and media member went by very quickly, and that what he thinks about the most are the people who opened doors for him. Brown mentioned that working for Costello provided the equivalent of a Master's degree and a Doctorate in basketball in just two years. Brown said that he learned a lot from Costello, from teaching at various clinics, and from speaking at a variety of corporate engagements. 

During the first quarter, Mike Tirico made a live appearance, and he chatted with Brown and Breen. Tirico remembered calling Lillard's series-winning shot in 2014 with Brown by his side, and he reminisced about calling Kobe Bryant's 60 point career finale alongside Brown. 

Breen said that Brown has been an "NBA father" to his play by play partners, and he said that it is a "privilege" to call a game with Brown.

When Mark Jones joined the broadcast, he talked about the excitement he felt the first time that he worked with Brown, and he spoke about Brown providing pointers for his basketball playing kids. Like all of Brown's broadcast partners, Jones mentioned that Brown treated him like family. 

Brown later talked about the importance of making everyone feel included on a team, whether that team is a sports team or a broadcasting team. Brown explained that he learned an important lesson about team chemistry while assisting Costello, who put Brown in charge of working with the last three players on the bench at a time when NBA rosters had just 10 players. Brown said that on a strong team like the Bucks during that era, the last three players on the roster did not play very much and were often upset with their limited roles. When Brown became a head coach, he lengthened his player rotation to give more players playing time and decrease the number of dissatisfied players on the bench.

Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson, who played for Costello and Brown in Milwaukee, recorded a message during which he noted that when Hubie Brown speaks everyone listens and respects what he says.

After Breen asked Brown his take on the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade that shocked most NBA observers, Brown noted that Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving, Shaquille O'Neal, and LeBron James--"five of the greatest"--all were traded, so Doncic can also be traded.

When Dave Pasch made a live appearance, he pointed out that it is rare to be an icon in just one field, but that Brown is an icon in two fields (coaching and commentating). Pasch said that Brown always asks his play by play announcer how he is doing, and if he had enough time to talk. Pasch quipped that just once he wanted to mess with Brown and say that he had not had enough time to talk. 

Basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing, who played for Brown when Brown coached the Knicks, praised Brown's "vast knowledge" of basketball.

Hall of Famer Pau Gasol called it a "privilege" to play for Brown in Memphis.  

Other people who recorded tributes to Brown include Indiana Coach Rick Carlisle, Miami Coach Erik Spoelstra, and NBA Commissoner Adam Silver.

ESPN/ABC ran a graphic stating that Brown coached against or broadcasted 80% of the players in NBA history, a statistical nugget that is stunning but not surprising. 

Near the end of the broadcast, Breen shared with the audience a look at "The Hubie Sheet," the meticulous notes that Brown brought to each game and then marked up during the broadcast:

Brown downplayed this, saying that being prepared is part of the job--but the way that Brown treated each game like a masterpiece deserving the most careful thought and analysis demonstrates his dedication to his craft.

After the game, the referees presented the game ball to Brown, who joked about receiving a present from them despite leading the league in technical fouls along with Kevin Loughery. 

Next, ESPN/ABC ran a piece featuring several of Brown's colleagues reminiscing about Brown. Dick Stockton is one of the most gracious people who I have ever had the privilege of interviewing, and he made an eloquent tribute to Brown: "I hope that the viewing audience of NBA basketball realize what kind of a treasure Hubie Brown has been in a brilliant career which longevity is beyond comparison. I worked with a lot of different people in a lot of sports in my 55 year career as a broadcaster but he stands out because of his love of the game and the way he expressed the game."

Breen asked Brown to summarize his thoughts about his career. Brown said that he learned from his father to always give 100%, and that he viewed both coaching and broadcasting as being part of a team whose job is to teach. Brown thanked all of his well-wishers on behalf of his family, and he noted that the day was almost overwhelming. Brown mentioned that a cardinal principle that he always upheld is to never underestimate the IQ of the audience.

Brown deserved all of the heartfelt praise that he received, but I would be remiss if I did not note that the same employer that is gushing over him as he departs relegated him to second tier status for most of his tenure with ESPN/ABC; he was only the lead analyst at ESPN/ABC for a brief time, but he is the best NBA analyst of all-time, and he should have been on the number one team for a lot longer than he was. Howard Cosell once declared, "I never played the game" (which was also the title of his 1985 autobiography), meaning not only that he never played pro sports but that he never stooped to playing the game of being popular at the expense of being authentic to his values. Based on ESPN's other hiring choices, it is fair to assume that the network chose "entertainment"--which is, after all, what the "E" stands for in ESPN--over in depth analysis. I mean no disrespect to Van Gundy or Jackson, who both did well during their time at ESPN, but Brown is a better analyst than either of them.

I interviewed Hubie Brown in 2006 and 2009. My approach to basketball writing has always focused on the perspective of a coach/scout analyzing the skill set strengths and weaknesses of players and teams, and then determining what the optimal strategy should be for a team based on a skill set analysis of that team and the opposing team. This analytical approach is heavily influenced by Brown, and I agree with Brown that you don't talk down to the audience, but rather you provide high level information to the audience with the belief and expectation that the audience can follow along and will appreciate being educated. I can crack jokes and be silly, but my primary focus is spreading knowledge, not producing one liners or click-bait hot takes. During the time that I covered the NBA as a credentialed media member at regular season games, playoff games, and All-Star Games, I cherished the opportunity to speak in person with coaches and scouts. I learned a lot from those conversations, but those conversations also reaffirmed that I analyze and perceive the game the way that coaches and scouts do, in contrast to the way that many media members who favor sensationalism and superficiality do.

I will miss Brown very much, because for more than half of my life I have viewed any game that he did as must-see, appointment television. Anyone who would like to learn more about Brown should watch Brown's 2013 conversation with George Raveling, which includes timeless wisdom not only about basketball, but about life, as well as a wealth of information about basketball history from the 1950s through the 2000s. Recently, NBA.com's Ben Lambert did an interesting interview with Brown.

Hubie Brown was an excellent coach, a premier clinician, and the greatest NBA analyst of all-time. His presence on the NBA airwaves will be missed, but he will never be forgotten and his influence is indelible.

Further Reading:

Hubie Brown Interview (2006)

Seven Great "Hubie-isms" (2007)

Trading Places: LeBron Scores 37 as the "New" Cavs Beat the "New" Bulls (2008)

Hubie Brown Breaks Down Cleveland-Orlando and LeBron-Kobe (2009)

Sleepwalking Lakers End "Nightmare" Season by Being Swept (2013)

Hubie Brown Analyzes Russell Westbrook and the L.A. Lakers (January 28, 2022)

NBA's 75th Anniversary Celebration Game Provided Stirring Trip Down Memory Lane (April 7, 2022)

Cold Young Heats Up as Hawks Defeat Celtics, 130-122 (April 21, 2023)

Jayson Tatum Scores Game Seven Record 51 Points as Celtics Roll Over Listless 76ers, 112-88 (May 14, 2023)

New Look Knicks Rout Slumping Heat (January 17, 2024)

Sharpshooting Bucks Take Down Defenseless Suns, 140-129 (March 18, 2024)

Doncic is Doncic, Washington Shines Early, and Irving Dominates Fourth Quarter as Mavericks Beat Thunder, 105-101 (May 11, 2024)

Labels: Atlanta Hawks, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Hubie Brown, Joel Embiid, Kentucky Colonels, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Tyrese Maxey

posted by David Friedman @ 4:26 AM

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Bucks Silence Thunder in NBA Cup Championship Game

Giannis Antetokounmpo authored a dominant triple double with game-high totals in points (26), rebounds (19), and assists (10) while leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 97-81 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup Championship Game. Antetokounmpo shot 10-19 from the field, and he also accumulated three blocked shots plus two steals. Antetokounmpo earned the NBA Cup MVP award, which was based on his play throughout the NBA Cup tournament and not just in the Championship Game. Damian Lillard scored 23 points on 6-12 field goal shooting, including 5-10 from three point range. Brook Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. chipped in 13 points each. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced the Thunder with 21 points, but he shot just 8-24 from the field, including 2-9 from three point range. Jalen Williams scored 18 points on 8-20 field goal shooting. Isaiah Hartenstein had 16 points on 6-11 field goal shooting and he ripped down a team-high 12 rebounds; he scored 10 first quarter points on 4-4 field goal shooting, but he was quiet offensively the rest of the way.

I predicted that Antetokounmpo would dominate and that the Bucks would win. As I have repeatedly said for many years, size matters in the NBA. Antetokounmpo is a tough matchup for any team, but the small-ball Thunder are particularly ill-equipped to challenge him. His paint dominance forced the Thunder to send defensive help, which in turn created wide open three pointers that his teammates drained. Many of the headlines for game stories about this contest will probably focus on the Bucks shooting 17-40 (.425) from three point range, but to summarize Milwaukee's win that way is to miss the larger point (pun intended) that the bigger Bucks physically dominated the Thunder; the Bucks won the rebounding battle 52-43 and held the Thunder to 29-86 field goal shooting (.337), including 5-32 (.156) from three point range. However, the NBA Cup Championship Game statistics--both for individual players and for the teams--do not officially count as regular season statistics or as playoff statistics: the only tangible proof that this game happened is that ABC broadcast it, Commissioner Adam Silver handed out the championship and MVP trophies at the end, and each player on the winning team's roster received more than $500,000. 

The Thunder entered this game leading the West while boasting a historic 12.1 ppg point differential, plus league-leading averages in defensive field goal percentage and points allowed. Their defense versus the Bucks was not bad--they held the Bucks 16 points below the Bucks' scoring average--but they could not make three pointers and they would not stop taking three pointers. The way that the Thunder sputtered to just 31 second half points on 11-42 field goal shooting (.262) is exhibit A for what is wrong with the modern NBA: the sport is supposed to be basketball, not "jack up as many three pointers as possible." Yes, the Bucks deserve credit for playing excellent defense and exploiting their size advantage at both ends of the court, but in this game the Thunder outscored the Bucks in the paint 34-28. Although it is not realistic to think that the Thunder could or should have attempted a shot in the paint on every possession, their ratio of 32 three point attempts to 39 paint shot attempts was as stubborn as it was suboptimal; in the good old days, NBA teams regularly scored more than 100 points without attempting any three pointers, let alone attempting dozens of three pointers, so the notion that in order to score a lot of points it is necessary to match the other team three point shot for three point shot is foolish. Contrary to what some people will say, the Bucks did not win this game because they made more three pointers than the Thunder, nor did the Bucks win because they attempted more three pointers than the Thunder; the Bucks won this game because their size advantage overwhelmed the Thunder, and one of the consequences of that was that Bucks other than Antetokounmpo had wide open three point shot attempts.

A made three point shot is worth more than a made two point shot, but all missed shots are worth zero points. "Stat gurus" not only fail to understand that basic math, but they also ignore or minimize the reality that attacking the paint puts pressure on the opposing defense, can lead to free throw attempts, and better enables the offensive team to maintain good court balance for getting back on defense. If it were truly as simple as "Threes are worth more than twos" then of course the best strategy would be to attempt nothing but three pointers (which, sadly, is the direction in which the NBA seems to be headed), but correct basketball strategy is multidimensional. Looking at a broader view beyond this game, this is not just about how many three pointers are being attempted but also about when and how three pointers are being attempted. As mentioned above, the Bucks created high percentage, good rhythm three pointers by attacking the paint and then swinging the ball to the open man after the Thunder trapped Antetokounmpo. In contrast, after scoring 16 paint points in the first quarter to enjoy a 28-27 lead, the Thunder did not attack the paint enough. Sure, the Bucks deserve credit for using their size effectively in the paint, but the solution to that is not to settle for three pointers but rather to continue to attack the paint. It is easy for the smaller team to get frustrated and just settle for long jumpers, but that is not championship level basketball; playing small is no excuse for abandoning the paint.

Rivers said at halftime, "We have to win the three point shooting, and that's what we're doing." The Bucks opened the second half with back to back three pointers to establish their largest lead of the game up to that point, 57-50. I would argue that what mattered was not so much that the Bucks won the three point shooting, but rather how they did it: they attacked the paint as the first option, and shot open threes as the second option, which is much different than just jacking up three pointers without first probing the defense.

The Thunder are a much better team than they showed on Tuesday night, but this game showcased the difference between a seven game series and a winner take all format, and it highlighted how dangerous it is to rely on high variance three point shooting without having any backup plan.

Last year, the L.A. Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers 123-109 to win the inaugural NBA Cup. The Pacers seemed to get a boost from their strong NBA Cup run, and they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014, but the Lakers lost in the first round of the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how well this year's NBA Cup Finalists do in the tournament that really matters.

Labels: Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA Cup, Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

posted by David Friedman @ 1:07 AM

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NBA Cup Semifinals Recaps and NBA Cup Championship Game Preview

The Milwaukee Bucks will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in Tuesday night's NBA Cup Championship Game after defeating the Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets respectively yesterday in the semifinals in Las Vegas. Each player on the the team that wins the NBA Cup will receive $500,000, but the Championship Game itself is neither fish nor fowl from a statistical standpoint--the numbers do not count for the regular season or for the playoffs, which is an odd way for the NBA to treat such a supposedly important event.

The Bucks trailed the Hawks 83-82 heading into the fourth quarter, but rode Giannis Antetokounmpo's all-around greatness to victory as the two-time regular season MVP scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished for three assists, and had a sensational block of Clint Capela's dunk attempt with the Bucks clinging to a 103-98 lead with 2:35 remaining. Antetokounmpo finished with a team-high 32 points on 10-15 field goal shooting, a game-high 14 rebounds, a team-high nine assists, and a game-high (tied with Capela) four blocked shots. Antetokounmpo joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only two Milwaukee players to have 100 games with at least 30 points, at least 10 rebounds, and at least .600 field goal shooting. Antetokounmpo made the NBA Cup All-Tournament Team last year, and he is a lock to make it this year as well. Damian Lillard added 25 points on 8-21 field goal shooting while also contributing seven assists, six rebounds, and three steals. Trae Young poured in a game-high 35 points on 9-18 field goal shooting and 14-17 free throw shooting, and he distributed a game-high 10 assists. It is difficult to read the 14-13 Hawks: they are 2-0 against Cleveland, 2-0 against New York, 1-1 against Boston--but 0-2 against Chicago, and 0-2 against the pathetic Washington "Wheeze-hards."

The Rockets led the Thunder for most of the first half, but the Thunder's stout defense wore down the Rockets in the second half as the Thunder outscored the Rockets 70-54 to cruise to a 111-96 win. The Thunder shot 36-80 (.450) from the field while holding the Rockets to 35-96 (.365) field goal shooting. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 32 points on 8-21 field goal shooting and 14-15 free throw shooting while also snaring eight rebounds and dishing for six assists. Isaiah Hartenstein had a strong game with 21 points and eight rebounds, Jalen Williams contributed 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists, and Lu Dort added 19 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Other than Hartenstein, the Thunder lack size, but they are an athletic team that plays with high energy. Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 19 points off of the bench, but no other Rocket scored more than 14 points.

The 20-5 Thunder have the best record in the Western Conference, while the surging 14-11 Bucks have the sixth best record in the Eastern Conference despite starting the season 1-6. The Thunder looked like a championship contender from the start of this season, while the Bucks just now seem to be rounding into form, although their perimeter defense and their depth are still questionable. The Thunder have the statistical profile of a championship team, ranking first in defensive field goal percentage (.424), first in point differential (12.0), and first in points allowed (103.5 ppg). They also lead the league both in forcing turnovers and fewest turnovers committed, and those extra possessions help compensate for their middle of the pack 16th ranking in rebounding. Lack of size (which impacts rebounding, of course) is the main concern for the Thunder. The Bucks have won 12 of their last 15 games, and have moved up to sixth in defensive field goal percentage (.451), 14th in point differential (1.1), and 13th in points allowed (111.9 ppg). Lillard will always be a defensive liability, but the Bucks protect the paint well, ranking sixth in blocked shots. Rebounding is a concern: the Bucks rank just 22nd, and other than Antetokounmpo (11.5 rpg) and Bobby Portis (7.7 rpg) no Buck is averaging more than 5 rpg. 

The NBA Cup, as TNT's Kenny Smith mentioned, is more like the NCAA Tournament than the NBA playoffs; the best team generally wins the NBA championship, but in the NBA Cup a team can get hot for one game and knock out a superior team. For that reason, Smith picked the Bucks to beat the Thunder, even though he rates the Thunder as the better overall team. The Bucks are the only undefeated team (6-0) in NBA Cup games this season, and I agree with Smith's pick; specifically, I expect Antetokounmpo to dominate: in his only game versus the Thunder last season, he scored a game-high 30 points and snatched a game-high 19 rebounds in just 34 minutes as the Bucks won, 118-93. Khris Middleton, who recently returned to the lineup this season on a minutes restriction, had a triple double (11 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) in that rout, and he performed well in the Bucks' other game versus the Thunder last season (18 points, seven rebounds, six assists), but Antetotokounmpo and Lillard both did not play in that 18 point loss.

It is interesting to note that Milwaukee assistant coach Darvin Ham led the L.A. Lakers to the inaugural NBA Cup title last season before the Lakers fired him and replaced him with J.J. Redick. The amazing thing about Redick--who has coached the Lakers to a tie for 10th-11th (out of 15 teams) in the West so far with a 13-12 record--is that, at least according to him, the Lakers have had the right game plan every single game, only to fall short because the players simply don't adhere to his wise teaching and superior basketball knowledge; the Lakers have not once been outcoached this season--just ask Redick, and he'll be happy to tell you, and there is no doubt that this message resonates well with his players, particularly coming from a coach whose prior experience consisted entirely of coaching AAU kids. There is nothing that NBA players like more than being talked down to by a coach who has never won anything at the NBA level as a player or as a coach. It would be interesting to hear Ham's candid thoughts about the Lakers, and about Redick, but Ham is too busy helping the Bucks improve to waste much time pondering the overhyped and underperforming Lakers.

Labels: Damian Lillard, Darvin Ham, Giannis Antetokounmpo, J.J. Redick, L.A. Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA Cup, Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

posted by David Friedman @ 11:47 AM

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Milwaukee and Oklahoma City Advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals

The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Orlando Magic 114-109 in the first of four NBA Cup quarterfinal games. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 37 points on 15-24 field goal shooting, and he had a game-high four blocked shots. Damian Lillard added 28 points--including 15 in the fourth quarter--and a game-high nine assists. Antetokounmpo (game-high six turnovers) and Lillard (four turnovers) had 10 of the Bucks' 16 turnovers. Bobby Portis contributed 22 points and a team-high 10 rebounds off of the bench, while former All-Star Khris Middleton--who is on a minutes restriction as he recovers from offseason surgeries on both of his ankles--had eight assists, four rebounds, and three steals in 20 scoreless minutes. 

The Magic battled throughout the game--enjoying an 11 point lead early in the second quarter, and leading 107-106 with just 40.6 seconds remaining in the game--despite being without the services of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, their two best players who are both sidelined with oblique injuries. Jalen Suggs scored a career-high 32 points and had a game-high four steals, Anthony Black (17 points) and Moritz Wagner (13 points on 6-6 field goal shooting) played well off of the bench, and Goga Bitadze made his presence felt with 12 points, a game-high 14 rebounds, and four assists.

On paper, this game should have been a blowout, as the Bucks feature two members of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team--Antetokounmpo and Lillard--while the Magic sans Banchero do not have a single current or former All-Star, but the Magic play hard, they play unselfishly, and they play tough defense. The Bucks committed seven turnovers in the first quarter, tying their season-high for first quarter turnovers, and enabling the Magic to sprint to a 10 point first quarter lead before settling for a 33-25 advantage at the end of the first quarter. 

The Bucks eventually outlasted the outmatched Magic, but the Bucks' shaky perimeter defense makes it difficult to picture them enjoying a deep playoff run; their guards struggle to stay in front of the opposing team's guards, which forces their big men to help and thus leave the basket unattended. They could really use a tough, defensive-minded guard like Boston's Jrue Holiday--but they traded Holiday away for Damian Lillard, who is invisible defensively.

The Bucks will be a solid playoff team as long as they have a healthy Antetokounmpo doing everything, but until they recapture the defensive identity that they used to have they will not be a title contender. The scrappy young Magic are a team on the rise--not ready to win a title this season, but building good habits and gaining valuable experience.

In the second game of TNT's doubleheader (and the second NBA Cup quarterfinal game), the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 118-104. The Mavericks outrebounded the Thunder by nearly 5 rpg en route to a 4-2 series win in the 2024 playoffs, but in this game the Thunder outrebounded the Mavericks 52-44 as offseason acquisition Isaiah Hartenstein ripped down a game-high 13 rebounds.  The silky smooth Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 39 points on 15-23 field goal shooting while also compiling eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals. All five Thunder starters scored in double figures, and the Thunder bench added 29 points. Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall led the Mavericks with 19 points each, but Dallas' top two players both had off nights: Luka Doncic finished with 16 points on 5-15 field goal shooting (though he did have 11 rebounds and five assists), and Kyrie Irving had 17 points on 7-14 field goal shooting. Dereck Lively II tied Hartenstein for game-high rebounding honors, but he scored just four points as the Thunder shut down Dallas' lob game at the rim without giving up anything on the perimeter. The Thunder beat the reigning Western Conference champions despite being without the services of the injured Chet Holmgren. After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander said that it was a point of emphasis to "be the aggressor" versus a team that pushed them around in previous matchups.

During the halftime show of the Oklahoma City-Dallas game, Kenny Smith observed that the Thunder make a conscious effort to "touch the paint" even on possessions that end in three point attempts, and he said that the way that the Thunder attack the paint separates them from teams that just jack up three pointers without putting pressure on the defense.

On Wednesday night, the New York Knicks will host the Atlanta Hawks and the Houston Rockets will host the Golden State Warriors in the last two NBA Cup quarterfinal games, with the winners facing Milwaukee and Oklahoma City respectively as the NBA Cup concludes in Las Vegas with semifinal games on Saturday and the championship game next Tuesday.

The NBA's media partners are contractually obligated to hype up the NBA Cup, but the NBA's TV ratings are down this season and it is not difficult to figure out why: the product just is not as good as it used to be for a variety of reasons, including load management, tanking, and most teams playing the same analytics-driven, cookie-cutter offense focused on jacking up as many corner three pointers as possible. I am a basketball lifer, and I don't find this brand of basketball as captivating or entertaining as basketball used to be, so I can only imagine how casual fans must feel. The NBA Cup will not solve the NBA's problems, and in some ways I would argue that it makes things worse. Last year when the NBA Cup debuted, I pointed out two flaws in the format: 

There are at least two drawbacks with the current NBA Cup format: (1) the use of point differential as the first tiebreaker in Group Play resulted in farcical situations during which teams ran up the score, and (2) there will be quirky scheduling this week for the teams that did not qualify for knockout round play. Regarding the first drawback, I am all for players and teams playing hard from opening tip to final buzzer, but intentionally running up the score in the waning moments of a blowout looks silly and renders those individual and team statistics meaningless: how many more points would the great teams and players of the past have scored if teams ran up the score instead of putting in the reserves? Regarding the second drawback, if a fan wants to see a particular visiting player or team how is he supposed to plan in advance for a week in which the schedule is dotted with "TBD"?

The NBA does not care about these issues because the league is desperate to come up with any gimmick to induce the players to (1) stop sitting out games and (2) play hard when they are not sitting out games. Personal pride and competitive spirit are rare commodities now, so the NBA is paying $100,000 to each player on a quarterfinal winning team, with escalating prizes for the teams that advance further in the tournament. Antetokounmpo is one of the few players who still plays hard, but it was not a good look (or sound) when--in response to a question about that $100,000 payment--he laughed and said, "The rich get richer." Many Americans are struggling to put food on the table, with the average annual personal income being just $63,214, so bragging about making more in less than three hours than most people make in a year is not funny or endearing. Not to get overly political, but it sure seems like many athletes and entertainers are Democrats who complain about how much money wealthy people make and how little they pay in taxes, but I have yet to hear of an athlete or an entertainer offering to live on $63,214 per year (or even a "mere" $630,000 per year), so perhaps they should complain less about the economic system or the taxation system that benefits them so much; if they aren't giving up their own money that they receive from guaranteed contracts that don't even require them to show up to work every day then they are in no position to speak about how people who actually have to show up to work to get paid should spend their money or be taxed.

It is unfortunate that the NBA has to stoop to providing extra cash to NBA players who are already earning generational wealth in the hope that players will play hard. It has been reported that the NBA will change the 2025 All-Star Game format to a tournament featuring three eight-player All-Star teams plus the winning team from the Rising Stars Challenge playing round robin games with a 40 point target score. Presumably, the NBA will throw still more cash at the NBA All-Stars and beg the players to at least pretend to give effort. The NBA All-Star Game descended to a new low last February as the teams combined to lauch 168 three point shots while attempting just five free throws as the Eastern Conference All-Stars routed the Western Conference All-Stars, 211-186.

Throwing more cash at players who act entitled and spoiled will not make things better. Radical measures are needed: if All-Stars refuse to play hard, then cancel the All-Star Game and render null and void any contract bonuses related to being selected as an All-Star; if players think that the season is too long to play all 82 games, then slash the schedule to 60 games, and reduce player salaries proportionately to make up for the lost TV revenue. We all know that Commissioner Adam Silver--who prides himself on getting along with the players--would never do such things, which is why we all also know that the NBA that we love is going to continue to decline until the owners suffer financial losses as a result of selling a second-rate product.

Labels: Dallas Mavericks, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Suggs, Luka Doncic, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA Cup, Oklahama City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

posted by David Friedman @ 1:11 AM

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Antetokounmpo and Lillard Shine as Bucks Defeat Injury-Riddled 76ers

Damian Lillard scored a game-high 30 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 25 points as the Milwaukee Bucks ruined the Philadelphia 76ers' home opener, 124-109. Lillard also had nine rebounds and six assists, while Antetokounmpo led both teams in rebounding (14) and assists (seven). The Bucks shot 43-80 (.538) from the field while holding the 76ers to 41-98 (.418) field goal shooting. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 25 points, but he shot just 10-31 from the field. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 21 points, while Andre Drummond had 10 points and a team-high 13 rebounds. Drummond, a four-time NBA rebounding champion (2016, 2018-20), ranks first among active players (and 14th all-time) with a 12.4 rpg career average, and he started in place of the perpetually injured Joel Embiid.

This game was much more about who did not play then how effectively either team played. Embiid is expected to miss at least the next two games, and he publicly stated that he may sit out at least one game in each back to back scenario for the rest of his career. Prior to last season, the NBA instituted a Player Participation Policy stipulating harsher penalties for load management and it has been reported that the league office is investigating how the 76ers are handling Embiid's situation. Some NBA players--including Embiid--have complained about the Player Participation Policy, to which I say that the NBA should only scrap the Player Participation Policy if the players agree to give up guaranteed contracts and instead be paid only when they show up for work, which is the reality for most jobs.

During TNT's pregame show on NBA Opening Night, Shaquille O'Neal said of Embiid, "In order to win a championship you have to give yourself to the game." Embiid missed every game in the first two seasons of his NBA career, he has never played more than 68 games in a season, and he has played 66 games or less in seven of the last eight seasons. Wrapping Embiid in amber to preserve him for the playoffs not only cheats the fans who purchase tickets to see him to play in regular season games but it prevents the 76ers from developing the chemistry and continuity that is required to win a championship.

Paul George, the 76ers' biggest offseason acquisition, missed this game due to a bone bruise in his left knee that he suffered during the preseason. He will be reevaluated later this week. George is not as injury-prone as Embiid, but he played 56 games or less in each of the four seasons prior to last season, when he played in 74 games after the NBA enacted the Player Participation Policy.

Khris Middleton did not play for Milwaukee as he recovers from offseason procedures on both of his ankles. He was durable during the first portion of his career through 2021 when he helped the Bucks win the NBA title, but in the past three years he has been dogged by injuries.

The Bucks and 76ers both lost in the first round of the playoffs last season. Embiid has never led the 76ers past the second round of the playoffs, while the Bucks have not advanced past the second round since their 2021 championship season. Both teams talk about winning the 2025 NBA title, but talk is cheap and it remains to be seen if these teams will do what is necessary to win a championship; for the 76ers, that means taking the regular season seriously, and for the Bucks that means committing to playing elite defense, which has been a problem ever since the Bucks fired Coach Mike Budenholzer and swapped defensive stalwart Jrue Holiday for defensive sieve Damian Lillard.

Labels: Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Milwaukee Bucks, Paul George, Philadelphia 76ers, Tyrese Maxey

posted by David Friedman @ 9:04 AM

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Halliburton's Three Point Play Silences Bucks as Pacers Win in Overtime

Patrick Beverley and Damian Lillard often have a lot to say, but Tyrese Halliburton had the last word as his Indiana Pacers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in overtime, 121-118. The 2024 regular season assist champion showcased his versatility with 18 points, a game-high 16 assists, and 10 rebounds while posting a game-high +16 plus/minus number, but Halliburton saved his best for last: Halliburton received an inbounds pass in the backcourt, took a running start, faked Beverley out of his shorts, and then lofted a runner in the paint to give the Pacers a 120-118 lead with 1.4 seconds remaining in overtime. Beverley got back in the play just in time to foul Halliburton, and Halliburton capped off the scoring by making his free throw. Khris Middleton's three pointer at the buzzer came up short, and the Pacers took a 2-1 series lead.

Myles Turner led the Pacers with 29 points, and he collected nine rebounds. He shot 10-21 from the field, including 4-10 from three point range as he provided floor spacing from the center position. Pascal Siakam, who won an NBA title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, was a calming influence with 17 points, nine rebounds, and four assists after exploding for 36 points and 13 rebounds in game one and then producing 37 points and 11 rebounds in game two. The other Indiana starters, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith, scored 16 and 13 points respectively, and Obi Toppin chipped in 15 points and six rebounds in just 17 minutes off of the bench.

Khris Middleton, who has been hobbled by injuries the past two years after making the All-Star team three times in a four season span, had a flashback performance with 42 points on 16-29 field goal shooting, 10 rebounds, and five assists. He hit several clutch shots, including a 30 foot three pointer with 2.3 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime. Damian Lillard added 28 points, but he shot just 6-20 from the field, and Milwaukee's offense flowed much better when Middleton was in control late in the game after Lillard suffered an Achilles injury that turned him into a decoy. Bobby Portis had 17 points and a game-high 18 rebounds, and center Brook Lopez added 14 points but snared just four rebounds as the Pacers outrebounded the Bucks, 50-43. Beverley had a -8 plus/minus number and six fouls in 42 minutes, and the ratio of his trash talk and fouls committed to his defensive effectiveness was not positive for the Bucks. As Russell Westbrook once sagely noted to a media swarm, "Pat Bev trick y'all, man, like he playing defense. He don't guard nobody, man. He just running around, doing nothing."

Hubie Brown provided the color commentary for ESPN. Brown was an assistant coach with the Bucks from 1972-74 before leading the Kentucky Colonels to the 1975 ABA championship with a 4-1 win over the Indiana Pacers as part of the Interstate 65 rivalry between those two stalwart ABA franchises.

The Pacers led 39-22 after the first quarter, and at that point it did not seem likely that the game would be competitive, let alone have a classic overtime finish. Toppin scored 11 first quarter points on 5-5 field goal shooting, and the Pacers hit five three pointers while the Bucks shot just 6-20 (.300) from the field. The Pacers' bench outscored the Bucks' bench 19-2 in the first quarter. Brown noted that Milwaukee's perimeter defense is poor and that the Pacers are outstanding at pushing the ball and then spreading the court to create open shots. Brown declared that the Pacers are "at the top of their game, playing with tremendous confidence," and he praised their "full court passing." The Pacers finished the game with 32 assists on 45 field goals made.

During the second quarter, Brown said, "I would like to see Lopez in the painted area." Lopez scored 10 second quarter points on 5-5 field goal shooting as the Bucks outscored the Pacers 33-28 to pull within 67-55 by halftime. Lillard scored just nine first half points on 2-10 field goal shooting, and Portis had two first half points on 1-6 field goal shooting. Brown prophetically said that in order for the Bucks to get back in the game they need more production from both of those players; they combined to score 34 second half points as the Bucks rallied to nearly pull off a road win.

The Bucks slowed the Pacers down in the third quarter and held them to 1-9 three point field goal shooting while winning that stanza 28-23 to enter the fourth quarter trailing 90-83. Middleton scored 11 fourth quarter points on 5-6 field goal shooting as the Bucks completed their comeback and even took the lead before forcing overtime. 

Middleton scored all seven of the Bucks' points in overtime while the Pacers spread out their scoring among four different players.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has yet to play in this series due to a calf injury, and his status is still uncertain. Now that Lillard is hobbled by an Achilles injury, the Bucks may be just a couple games away from seeing their season come to an unexpectedly early conclusion.

Labels: Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Hubie Brown, Indiana Pacers, Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks, Myles Turner, Pat Beverley, Tyrese Haliburton

posted by David Friedman @ 11:57 PM

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Sharpshooting Bucks Take Down Defenseless Suns, 140-129

The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 140-129 on Sunday even though the Suns were at full strength while the Bucks were missing two-time regular season MVP (2019, 2020) Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was a late precautionary scratch due to lingering hamstring soreness. Damian Lillard scored a game-high 31 points on 10-19 field goal shooting while passing for a game-high/career-high tying 16 assists. Bobby Portis matched Lillard with 31 points, shooting 13-20 from the field and also snaring a game-high 10 rebounds. Portis made all five of his three point shots. Khris Middleton returned to the lineup after missing 16 games with an ankle injury, and he had a major impact, scoring 22 points and dishing for seven assists in just 25 minutes. The Bucks set season highs for three point field goals made (24) and points scored in a half (82) while also tying the NBA record for three point field goals made in a half (18). Their 140 points is the most that they have scored since Doc Rivers took the head coaching reins shortly before the All-Star Game.

Bradley Beal led the Suns with 28 points while passing for seven assists, Grayson Allen added 25 points and a team-high eight assists, and Devin Booker had 23 points, a team-high nine rebounds, and six assists. Kevin Durant entered the game needing 20 points to surpass Shaquille O'Neal on the all-time scoring list, but he finished with just 11 points on 4-10 field goal shooting, though he did have a strong floor game (nine rebounds, four assists, three steals, two blocked shots, and just one turnover in a game-high 41 minutes).

This rematch of the 2021 NBA Finals did not feel like a rematch not only because of Antetokounmpo's absence but also because Booker is the only player or coach remaining from Phoenix' 2021 squad. It is amazing how quickly things change in the NBA, even for franchises that have been successful.  

Hubie Brown provided the color commentary for ABC. His most recent telecast was last Sunday when the Philadelphia 76ers beat the New York Knicks 79-73 in the NBA's lowest scoring game since 2016. Brown's pregame remarks focused on Middleton and Durant. Brown noted that even though Middleton is only averaging around 14 ppg this season he is a proven 20 ppg scorer who can also play the point guard role during crunch time minutes. Brown commented that Durant is so good that he makes scoring look easy, and he pointed out how Durant uses his length to create space to launch uncontested shots. 

Lillard is having a good season by conventional standards, but his numbers are below his career averages in several key categories, including PPG, FG%, and 3FG%. He played poorly in his previous two games, scoring just 27 points on 9-28 (.321) field goal shooting, but he understood the assignment with Antetokounmpo out of action: score efficiently while creating easy scoring opportunities for his teammates. Lillard scored nine first quarter points, but even more importantly he had six assists and no turnovers. Portis led the Bucks with 12 first quarter points on 5-5 field goal shooting. 

The Suns jumped out to a 9-3 lead, but by the end of the first quarter the Bucks led 39-36 and they never trailed again. The Bucks shot 15-24 from the field (.625) in the first quarter and the Suns were not far behind that blazing pace, shooting 14-25 (.560). Brown called the Bucks a "slow defensive recovery team," and added, "You can see early in this game that the defensive end off of the dribble is going to be a problem for Milwaukee." 

Brown amplified his pregame comments about Middleton's importance to the Bucks, calling him "A joy to watch," and praising him as a third scoring option who is comfortable being the second or even first option in clutch situations, which takes pressure off of Antetokounmpo and Lillard. 

Brown, who made his mark as a defensive-minded coach, described the defense in this game as so bad "it's almost outrageous," specifically noting that on many plays a defender was not within four or five feet of the shooter. Brown pointed out that the Bucks' strategy was to trap Booker and Durant out front while playing zone behind the traps.

After Portis made a three pointer from the left wing in the second quarter, he shouted, "That’s for you, Hubie!" Portis gave a similar shoutout to Brown during Milwaukee's 119-98 win over Philadelphia on Sunday February 25. Brown loves Portis' game, and it is nice to see a player who is far too young to remember most of Brown's coaching and broadcasting careers demonstrating such respect for one of the legends of the game.

The Bucks led 82-60 at halftime, mainly because of their record-setting three point shooting, led by Portis' 25 points on 10-13 field goal shooting (including 5-5 from three point range). Brown mentioned that the Bucks shot 2-2 from the free throw line during the first half, and said that this is because the Bucks were "shooting at will in wide open areas." The Suns' defense was so bad that they were not even close enough to the Bucks to foul them, let alone hinder or stop them. 

Brown said that the Suns should approach the second half with the mindset of cutting 4-5 points off of the lead every six minutes. The Suns stuck to that blueprint quite well, helped by the nature of the NBA today: the three point shot is a high variance play, and overuse of the three point shot is a major reason that NBA games so often feature big leads followed by big comebacks. In this game, the Bucks led by as many as 25 points in the second half before the Suns used a 32-13 rally to trim the margin to 100-94 with 1:30 remaining in the third quarter; in less than eight minutes, the Suns transformed a blowout into a potential win. The Bucks quickly built their lead back up to 15 points, but had to withstand one more Phoenix surge that trimmed the deficit to 122-115 with 6:17 left in the fourth quarter. The Suns made their run by utilizing a smaller, more aggressive lineup featuring Durant as the only player taller than 6-7.

Although the Suns outscored the Bucks 35-31 in the fourth quarter, overall this season the Suns have been awful in the final stanza, posting the fifth worst fourth quarter scoring margin in NBA history and blowing 10 fourth quarter leads. Brown attributes the Suns' fourth quarter struggles this season to high turnovers and low field goal percentage.

After the Bucks sealed the win in the closing moments, Brown's broadcast partner Dave Pasch noted that Lillard is the first player in Bucks' history to have at least 30 points and at least 15 assists in the same game. Brown replied that he was fortunate to coach great Milwaukee players including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, and Bob Dandridge. Brown said that it is important to remind younger viewers that Robertson averaged 30-10-10 in his first five NBA seasons. "That is the impression he made," Brown emphasized. Brown is correct, and in fact Robertson averaged 30.4 ppg, 10.7 apg, 10.0 rpg in his first six NBA seasons. Brown respects the players in today's NBA and he praises Lillard's game when warranted, but Brown did a great job of making it clear that one 30-15 game is not equivalent to averaging 30-10-10 for several seasons in a row.  

This game reflected the strengths and weaknesses that both teams have displayed throughout the season: the Bucks are potentially an offensive powerhouse, but they need Antetokounmpo on the court to provide paint presence at both ends of the court; the Suns' Durant-Booker-Beal trio can be lethal on offense, but collectively the Suns provide little defensive resistance. 

Labels: Bobby Portis, Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard, Devin Booker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Hubie Brown, Kevin Durant, Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns

posted by David Friedman @ 2:46 AM

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Bucks Overwhelm Undermanned 76ers, 119-98

Giannis Antetokounmpo posted game-high totals in points (30), rebounds (12), and assists (nine) while leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 119-98 road win versus the Philadelphia 76ers. Damian Lillard added 24 points and seven rebounds while matching Antetokounmpo with nine assists, Malik Beasley contributed 20 points, and Bobby Portis chipped in 17 points off of the bench. The Bucks have won two in a row after beating the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves 112-107 on Friday. Tyrese Maxey topped the 76ers in scoring (24 points) and assists (seven), but he shot just 8-19 from the field as the 76ers shot 36-97 (.371) from the field overall. Joel Embiid missed his 11th straight game as he recovers from knee surgery, and his absence was felt at both ends of the court.

Hubie Brown did the ABC color commentary; he did the color commentary during Philadelphia's 104-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, so this weekend provided a treat for basketball fans who enjoy listening to Brown's insights. Prior to this game, Brown noted that Antetokounmpo ranks first in the league in paint ppg (20.5), first in free throw attempts per game (11.1), third in scoring (30.8 ppg), tied for third in double doubles (44), and sixth in rebounding (11.3 rpg). Antetokounmpo is having another MVP-caliber season, and Brown concluded, "Let’s hope that everything else will turn around here."

This game marked Doc Rivers' return to Philadelphia. Rivers, who improved to 5-7 as Milwaukee's coach, coached the 76ers for the previous three seasons before the team fired him last summer and hired Nick Nurse. Doc Rivers told the ABC crew that he is proud that he coached Embiid during Embiid's MVP season, and he is proud that the 76ers became a championship contender on his watch. 

The Bucks blitzed the 76ers 35-21 in the first quarter and Maxey started the game slowly, but Brown reminded viewers about Maxey's great fourth quarter performance in the 76ers' Friday night win: "15 points under incredible pressure…outstanding foot quickness…you just love his competitiveness." Lillard scored the Bucks' first seven points on 3-3 field goal shooting, and he led both teams with 11 first quarter points. However, during the playoffs it will be interesting to track the impact of Lillard's questionable shot selection: after his hot start, he airballed a 27 foot three pointer with 15 seconds left on the 24 second shot clock. The Bucks have a size advantage against most teams--and a decided size advantage against the 76ers sans Embiid--so it makes no sense to jack up a long three pointer without first challenging the defense with a drive or a post entry pass. Such lapses may not matter in a regular season game against a depleted team like the 76ers, but they will likely be significant in a playoff series versus a strong defensive team.

The 76ers missed 11 straight shots during the first quarter, and this fueled an 11-0 Milwaukee run that flipped the score from 17-16 in Philadelphia's favor to 27-16 for the Bucks, who led the rest of the way. Brown made an excellent point when he mentioned that the biggest challenge for players is to figure out the officiating differences from game to game. He said that it is usually clear in the first eight minutes how loosely or tightly a game will be called, but entering the second quarter it was not clear how this game would be called.

A light-hearted moment happened during the second quarter after Portis drilled a corner three pointer; he ran by the broadcast table, looked at Brown, and said, "Talk about that, Hubie!" Later, Portis came over to the broadcast table and said to Brown with a smile, "I gave you a little shoutout." Brown likes Portis’ game and is happy that Portis has found a comfortable home with the Bucks after playing for the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, and New York Knicks.

The Bucks have struggled defensively this season, and Rivers attributes this in part to the Bucks being "big, not fast." Rivers' solution is to employ more switching so that the Bucks keep size in front of opposing players.  

After the Bucks led 69-48 at halftime, Brown said that one key for the Bucks was "Lillard broke the defense down and made the passes." Brown also liked that Antetokounmpo did not force the action. Antetokounmpo is the first player in NBA history to average at least 30 ppg while shooting at least .600 from the field prior to the All-Star break, and he is seeking to become the first player to reach both levels for an entire season. Although Antetokounmpo's scoring efficiency is unprecedented, Brown said that passing is "the most underrated part of his game this year."

The 76ers mounted a third quarter comeback, and Brown noted, "Going small has really helped them a lot." The 76ers shot 7-12 from three point range in the third quarter as they shaved the Bucks' lead to just 11 points before trailing 95-82 entering the fourth quarter. However, in the fourth quarter the Bucks' size and defensive focus took over, and the Bucks outscored the 76ers 24-16 while holding the 76ers to 6-23 (.261) field goal shooting.

Brown talked about the challenges facing Rivers after becoming the Bucks' coach during the middle of the season. Brown said that it takes time to define roles while implementing offensive and defensive systems, and he added that the Bucks' "biggest problem" is their subpar road record. 

Labels: Bobby Portis, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Hubie Brown, Joel Embiid, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Tyrese Maxey

posted by David Friedman @ 11:57 PM

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Luka Doncic Posts Fourth Best Single-Game Scoring Performance in NBA History, Devin Booker Logs Second 60 Point Game of His Career

Just four days after Joel Embiid joined the 70 point club and Karl-Anthony Towns had the second 60 point game of his career, Luka Doncic scored 73 points as his Dallas Mavericks defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 148-143. Doncic tied Wilt Chamberlain and David Thompson for the fourth highest scoring game in ABA/NBA history, trailing only Chamberlain's 100 point game, Kobe Bryant's 81 point game, and Chamberlain's 78 point game. Doncic shot 25-33 from the field and 15-16 from the free throw line, but what is most striking is his 17-20 field goal shooting from inside the arc. Yes, Doncic shot .850 on his two point field goal attempts! A cardinal defensive principle in basketball is to not allow straight line drives to the hoop, but the Hawks offered little to no resistance as Doncic repeatedly drove straight to the basket. Michael Jordan would have scored 90 or 100 points against that type of defense; that may sound like hyperbole, but if you watched Jordan play then you know it is true. Jordan attacked the hoop relentlessly during an era when the game was much more physical.

Doncic stole the headlines from Devin Booker, who scored 62 points as his Phoenix Suns lost to the Indiana Pacers, 133-131. Booker now has two 60 point games during his career. Until 1988, pro basketball's 60 Point Club had only two members who had logged more than one 60 point game: Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor. Jordan finished his career with four 60 point games (plus his 63 point playoff game, which is still the record for the postseason). After Jordan, the next player who had more than one 60 point game is Bryant, whose six such games trail only Chamberlain's 32(!) on the all-time list. 

Baylor, Chamberlain, Jordan, and Bryant are Pantheon-level players. Here are the players who have had at least two 60 point games post-Bryant: Damian Lillard (five), James Harden (four), Karl-Anthony Towns (two), Luka Doncic (two), and Devin Booker (two). With all due respect to that quintet, those players are not close to the level--as scorers, let alone as all-around players--of Baylor, Chamberlain, Jordan, and Bryant. 

The 70 Point Club has experienced a similar significant expansion. After Donovan Mitchell scored 71 points in a game last season, I wrote, "Not counting Chamberlain--whose name dominates the NBA record book--the NBA has seen less than one 70 point game per decade, so even in this era when it is easier to score than ever it may take 10 years before anyone matches what Mitchell did last night." Instead of taking a decade for someone to match Mitchell's feat, Damian Lillard scored 71 points in a game less than two months later, and now Doncic has topped both players with his 73 point explosion.

Lillard and Mitchell are both very good players, and Doncic is a great player, but the 70 Point Club used to be reserved for the all-time greats, not the "very good" and not the "great." Elgin Baylor founded the 70 Point Club on November 15, 1960 when he scored 71 points versus the New York Knicks. Baylor's record did not stand for long, as Chamberlain had six 70 point games from 1961-63, five of which topped Baylor's 71 point game. The only 70 point games from 1964-2006 were authored by David Thompson, David Robinson, and Kobe Bryant. No one scored 70 points in a game from 2007-2016, but from 2017-2024 Booker, Mitchell, Lillard, Embiid, and Doncic have done it. 

Baylor, Chamberlain, and Bryant are in the Pantheon. Thompson arguably had Pantheon-level talent, and he still had a Hall of Fame career despite battling drug addiction. Robinson is no worse than top 30-35 all-time. Would any informed NBA observer make the argument that Booker, Mitchell, Lillard, Embiid, and Doncic belong in such a group? Maybe Embiid or Doncic have a chance to elevate themselves to such lofty heights, but they are not there yet.

Regular season NBA games are starting to resemble the NBA All-Star Game in terms of lack of defense/lack of competitive effort, and last year's NBA All-Star Game may have been the worst basketball game ever. Prior to Monday, there had been one day in ABA/NBA history during which two players had 60 point games--and now that has happened twice in five days. Pointing out such facts is not "hating." The NBA powers that be have drastically altered the game, and not for the better: instead of featuring the best athletes in the world competing at the highest level, the NBA has degenerated into a glorified skills exhibition. I have attended dozens if not hundreds of NBA games in person as a credentialed media member or as a fan, and I have seen firsthand that even "non shooters" in the NBA can shoot an absurd percentage on uncontested warmup shots; this helped me to understand how great NBA defense is (or was). With all due respect to Doncic, in his 73 point game he shot .850 from the field on shots that were not much more difficult than warmup shots.

The modern NBA has lowered the bar competitively, which devalues each game and cheapens the record book.

Labels: Damian Lillard, David Robinson, David Thompson, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Elgin Baylor, Joel Embiid, Kobe Bryant, Luka Doncic, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 4:16 PM

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Central Division Shakeups: Bucks and Pacers Make Big Changes

Before this season began, the Milwaukee Bucks were viewed as championship contenders, while the Indiana Pacers looked like a team that would be fighting to qualify for the Play-In Tournament. As this season reaches the halfway mark, the Bucks have the second best record in the Eastern Conference, but their shaky defense--they rank 16th in the NBA in defensive field goal percentage and 25th in points allowed--is cause for concern; the Pacers are tied for the sixth best record in the Eastern Conference, but they have dominated the Bucks head to head (4-1, including a win in the NBA Cup en route to making it to the NBA Cup Championship Game), and their dynamic point guard Tyrese Haliburton is having a breakout season with career-high averages in scoring (23.6 ppg) and assists (12.6 apg, first in the league). 

The won-loss records suggest that both teams are who we thought they were, but the perception is that the Bucks are not meeting expectations while the Pacers are exceeding expectations--and those perceptions led both teams to shake up the status quo: the Pacers acquired two-time All-NBA selection/two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam from Toronto in exchange for Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and three first round draft picks; the Bucks fired first year head coach Adrian Griffin, and will reportedly replace Griffin with Doc Rivers.

The Pacers' front office is excited enough about what their young team has shown thus far to believe that it is worthwhile to give up three first round draft picks and solid rotation player Brown to add a veteran All-Star; that is not a move made by a team that is satisfied with making it to the Play-In Tournament: the Pacers think that adding Siakam to their rotation is enough to lift them to at least the top four in the Eastern Conference, and presumably they also think that they can persuade Siakam to re-sign with them in the offseason when Siakam becomes a free agent. 

Siakam was the second best player behind Kawhi Leonard on Toronto's 2019 championship team, but Leonard joined the L.A. Clippers after that season and with Siakam as the first option the Raptors won just one playoff series since 2019. Siakam is an excellent scorer, rebounder, playmaker, and defender but--like many very good but not great players--he may be better suited to the second option role than the lead role. That may work out fine for the Pacers, because Haliburton seems to have the temperament to fill the lead role. 

There is no question that the Pacers are better with the addition of Siakam. Are they good enough to beat Boston, Milwaukee, or Philadelphia in a playoff series? The 76ers have been a shaky playoff team throughout the Joel Embiid era. Maybe Coach Nick Nurse will change that in his first season with the 76ers, but the Pacers have good reason to think that they can compete versus the 76ers. The Bucks lack stability and a defensive identity; they have perhaps the best all-around player in the NBA--two-time regular season MVP and 2021 NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo--but the Pacers have proven this season that they match up well with the Bucks even before adding Siakam to the mix. The Celtics are the team to beat in the East. The two possible stumbling blocks for the Celtics are injuries (which could affect any team), and their stated goal of jacking up 50 three point shots per game; if the Celtics stay healthy and do not abandon the midrange game and the inside game then they will win the Eastern Conference. 

I would not pick the Pacers to win the Eastern Conference at this point, but it is reasonable for them to believe that they are close enough to contender status that it is worthwhile to give up future assets (draft picks) to obtain an established All-Star who could help them win multiple playoff series this year.

While the Pacers are optimistic, the Bucks appear to be in panic mode as they hire their third coach in eight months: last May they fired Mike Budenholzer, who led the Bucks to the 2021 NBA title, and now they are parting ways with Griffin, who had no head coaching experience prior to joining the Bucks. According to published reports, Doc Rivers was not on the Bucks' short list last summer. Hiring a coach who has no head coaching experience only to fire him halfway into the season and then replace him with a coach who was not seriously considered for the job just a few months ago smacks of both desperation and disorganization. 

Nevertheless, hiring Rivers now makes a lot more sense than hiring Griffin last summer. Rivers is an established NBA coach and proven winner. It was not clear last summer--and is even less clear now--why anyone thought that Griffin could lead the Bucks to a championship. Don't be fooled by the Bucks' record, which has been achieved versus weak teams; their second half of the season schedule is much tougher, and Griffin's bend before breaking defense would have collapsed versus strong competition.

Media coverage and analysis of coaching is even worse than media coverage of sports in general, so the Bucks' hiring of Rivers will undoubtedly unleash a cascade of articles declaring that Rivers is an awful coach. As part of the NBA's 75th anniversary celebration, Rivers was selected as one of the 15 greatest NBA coaches of all-time; those 15 coaches were selected by a panel of 43 current and former coaches, with no media members participating in the voting. I do not rank Rivers quite that highly, but the record shows that Rivers is an exceptional coach who has proven that he can do well with teams that lack talent (he won the 2000 Coach of the Year award with the "Heart and Hustle" Orlando Magic) and he can do well with teams that are stacked with talent (he led the Boston Celtics to the 2008 NBA title). It is true that Rivers has lost more game sevens and squandered more 3-1 leads than any coach in NBA history; did he set those marks because of his poor decisions, or because those teams relied on players who established a track record--before and after playing for Rivers--of disappearing in big moments? It is true that Rivers never won a championship despite coaching (with various teams) Tracy McGrady, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, James Harden, and Joel Embiid--but no one else has won a championship with those guys, either. McGrady never won a playoff series until he sat on the bench late in his career with the 2013 Spurs. Griffin never won an NBA title and is not currently with an NBA team. I am willing to bet that Paul and Harden will never win a championship as the first or second option (and possibly not as the third option, either). I am not yet willing to bet that Embiid never wins a championship as the best player on his team, but I think that it is more likely than not that he will end his career without winning a title: there is no indication up to this point in his career that he can or will be "the guy" during a championship run, regardless of how gaudy his regular season numbers are.

With the Bucks, Rivers has proven championship-winning players--including Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis--but he also has Lillard, whose indifferent at best defense is reminiscent of Harden and whose thin playoff resume is much like the playoff resumes of Paul, Harden, and Embiid. Rivers' first and most important task is to get the championship core players to buy into his offensive and defensive game plans. His second task is to figure out how to either (1) influence Lillard to show some interest in playing defense or (2) schematically cover up for Lillard's defensive deficiencies. With Antetokounmpo leading the way and Lillard's defensive shortcomings minimized, the Bucks have enough to win the Eastern Conference and be a formidable Finals opponent for whoever wins the Western Conference.

Labels: Adrian Griffin, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton

posted by David Friedman @ 1:14 PM

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