20 Second Timeout

Suns Spoil Clippers' Home Opener in New Arena

The Phoenix Suns built a 14 point first half lead, fell behind by 10 points with just 6:13 remaining in the fourth quarter, and then rallied to beat the L.A. Clippers 116-113 in overtime, spoiling the Clippers' home opener in Steve Ballmer's new arena. Kevin Durant led Phoenix with 25 points while also posting a team-high seven turnovers. Bradley Beal scored 24 points on 8-12 field goal shooting, and poured in seven of the Suns' 13 overtime points. Devin Booker had a quiet game (15 points, six assists) by his lofty standards. Tyus Jones did an excellent job in his debut as the team's starting point guard, finishing with 11 points, a game-high tying eight assists, and no turnovers. The Suns squandered many late leads last season due to poor execution down the stretch, so slotting Jones in as the starting point guard is meant to solve that problem, and if this game is any indication then that plan will work out well.

This game was a microcosm of James Harden's career: he filled up the boxscore with empty calories, and he disappeared when it mattered the most. Harden's game-high 29 points, game-high 12 rebounds, and game-high tying eight assists will make every "stat guru" drool, but it is worth noting not only that Harden had a -4 plus/minus number but also when and how he accumulated his numbers, because the great Bill Russell used to emphasize during his time as a CBS commentator the importance of when a player puts up his numbers. Harden was a no-show in the first half with four points on 2-11 field goal shooting as the Suns built a 47-39 halftime lead, forcing the Clippers to expend energy playing from behind. Then, he erupted for 16 points on 5-9 field goal shooting in the third quarter as the Clippers outscored the Suns 35-25 to take a 74-72 lead heading into the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter with the game up for grabs, Harden had eight points on 3-7 field goal shooting with a team-worst -7 plus/minus number. 

The Clippers led 99-90 with 3:52 remaining in the fourth quarter, and then Harden did his thing: he missed a 30 foot three pointer, he missed a floater, he turned the ball over, he missed a layup, and he fouled Durant on a three point play that gave the Suns the lead for the first time in the fourth quarter. Harden then tied the game with a stepback jumper and gave the Clippers a brief lead by hitting a pair of free throws before Durant's fadeaway knotted the score at 103 with 21.2 seconds remaining. Harden missed a floater that could have won the game, and in overtime he did not score a point or deliver an assist. Harden once said that he is not a system player but he is "The system" and that is true if he means that he is "The system" for falling behind early, squandering late leads, disappearing in overtime, and putting up "concert tour" field goal percentages in playoff games.

Unfortunately for the Clippers, their hopes will ride or die with Harden, because two-time NBA Finals MVP (2014, 2019) Kawhi Leonard is out indefinitely with a knee injury. It is becoming increasingly evident that the issue with Leonard is not so much that he is intentionally engaging in load management but that rather he just cannot stay healthy. 

In contrast, the Suns have a much sounder foundation, as they are relying on two-time NBA champion/NBA Finals MVP Durant, supported by Booker and Beal, who are excellent as the second and third options respectively. The Suns replaced Frank Vogel, who is an excellent coach, with Mike Budenholzer, who led the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2021 NBA title.

Labels: Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, L.A. Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Tyus Jones

posted by David Friedman @ 11:14 AM

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Team USA Routs Brazil 122-87 to Move Within Two Wins of Capturing Olympic Gold

After posting a 3-0 record in pool play and earning the number one seed in the medal round, Team USA demolished Brazil in the quarterfinals to set up a semifinal matchup on Thursday versus Serbia, who needed overtime to beat Australia. Team USA jumped out to an 18-8 lead within the first five minutes, and enjoyed a double digit cushion most of the rest of the way. Brazil cut the margin to just eight points, 42-34, at the 4:10 mark of the second quarter before Team USA closed the half with a 21-2 run to erase any doubt. As is generally the case in FIBA play, strong defense leading to transition scoring opportunities was the key factor. Team USA held Brazil to 32-77 (.416) field goal shooting overall, including 12-37 (.324) from beyond the arc. Team USA controlled the boards 46-34, and forced 15 turnovers while only turning the ball over 11 times. Each Team USA starter had a plus/minus number of at least +12, a welcome change from previous games when opposing teams kept pace with Team USA's starters before succumbing to Team USA's superior depth.

Starter Devin Booker scored a team-high 18 points on 6-9 field goal shooting in 15 minutes. Anthony Edwards added 17 points on 6-10 field goal shooting off of the bench in 20 minutes. Joel Embiid, inserted in the starting lineup despite his largely desultory play for Team USA, had 14 points and seven rebounds in 12 minutes; naturally, while finally having a good game he engaged in constant celebrations, taunting a French crowd that jeered him for spurning France (he is a French citizen as well) to play for Team USA. Also naturally, Embiid injured his ankle during the first half and did not play in the second half: watching him play for Team USA is like watching him in the NBA playoffs when he usually plays below his regular season standard for most games but has one or two good games and invariably is either injured entering the postseason or gets hurt during the playoffs. He is not expected to miss more time in the Olympics.

Anthony Davis, Team USA's defensive anchor, scored 13 points on 5-9 field goal shooting while also tying Brazil's Georginho De Paula for game-high rebounding honors (eight). LeBron James added 12 points on 5-6 field goal shooting plus a game-high nine assists before leaving the game after taking an elbow to the face. James needed four stitches and did not return to action but he is expected to be fully available for the Serbia game. Kevin Durant chipped in 11 points off of the bench and surpassed Lisa Leslie to become the all-time leading scorer for Team USA in Olympic play (of course, such records are skewed in favor of modern players who participate in the Olympics several times, in contrast to previous eras when American players played in the Olympics just once).

Bruno Caboclo scored a game-high 30 points for Brazil, but Team USA held most of his teammates in check.

Serbia has been up and down during the Olympics, but they have the best player in the world (Nikola Jokic) plus Bojan Bogdanovic and a bunch of scrappy players who most casual fans do not know much about. Team USA handled Serbia pretty easily in both the USA Basketball Showcase and pool play, though it is worth mentioning that in pool play Serbia played even with Team USA for the 31 minutes that Jokic was on the court but was outscored 29-3 during the nine minutes that Jokic was on the bench. If Serbia plays Jokic almost the entire game and he gets a little more help from his teammates then this game could be closer than expected, particularly if Team USA has some defensive lapses.

Labels: 2024 Olympics, Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Team USA

posted by David Friedman @ 9:04 AM

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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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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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Lakers Outshine Suns, Will Face Pelicans in NBA Cup Semifinals

Kevin Durant owns a 9-5 head to head advantage over LeBron James in their NBA Finals matchups while  winning two of those three series, but James extended his head to head advantage in their regular season encounters to 18-6 with a 106-103 L.A. Lakers win over Durant's Phoenix Suns. The victory lifted the Lakers into the NBA Cup Semifinals, where they will face the New Orleans Pelicans, who beat the Sacramento Kings 127-117 on Monday night. 

Father Time may be undefeated, but LeBron James has not lost to him yet and he had another sterling performance with a game-high 31 points, a game-high 11 assists, eight rebounds, and five steals. He is the first Laker to post at least 30-10-8-5 in a game since Magic Johnson in his prime, but James' performance is notable because he is a soon to be 39 year old in his 21st NBA season. 

James leads the Lakers by attempting nearly six three point field goals per game, but in this contest he shot the trey judiciously (2-4) and made a concerted effort to attack the paint. The Lakers are at their best when James and Anthony Davis attack the paint instead of settling for jump shots or just drifting around the perimeter. Davis finished with 27 points, a game-high 15 rebounds, and the Lakers' only two blocked shots. Davis shot just 10-26 from the field but he had a strong first half (20 points on 8-16 field goal shooting) as the Lakers built a double digit lead. Even though Davis had just seven points on 2-10 field goal shooting in the second half, he had nine rebounds as the Lakers did just enough to hold on and win. He also dominated his head to head matchup with Jusuf Nurkic, who finished with three points, eight rebounds, and no blocked shots.

The Lakers outscored the Suns in the paint 54-44. It would be interesting to know what the Lakers' record is when they win points in the paint by at least 10 points with James and Davis combining for at least 58 points and at least 23 rebounds. We have been subjected to so much nonsense about "lasers" and Russell Westbrook and roster construction, but the simple reality is that when James and Davis are both healthy and both attack the paint the Lakers are very difficult to beat; the Lakers shot 38-102 (.373) from the field--including 9-30 (.300) from three point range--and still defeated a Phoenix team featuring future Hall of Famers Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.

Durant tied James for game-high honors with 31 points while shooting 12-17 from the field. He also had seven rebounds and four assists. Booker scored 21 points while leading the Suns with 11 rebounds and six assists. Grayson Allen also scored 21 points.

The Lakers jumped out to a 33-23 lead by the end of the first quarter, and they enjoyed a 59-47 halftime advantage. They took control by outscoring the Suns in the paint 36-22 in the first 24 minutes. The Suns won the second half 56-47 and outscored the Lakers in the paint 22-18 but--like a race car that takes the checkered flag while running on fumes--the Lakers did just enough to reach the finish line. Austin Reaves drilled a three pointer to put the Lakers up 105-101 with 15 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Durant answered with a reverse layup, and then Davis closed out the scoring by splitting a pair of free throws. Durant had a chance to tie the score with a long three pointer from the left wing, but he missed wide right and the Lakers punched their ticket to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup Semifinals. 

During the TNT telecast, we saw highlights of the first time that James and Durant faced each other in the NBA (January 8, 2008). I covered that game in person as a credentialed journalist, and I not only wrote a recap of the 95-79 win for James' Cavaliers over Durant's Sonics but I interviewed Paul Westhead--who was then an assistant coach with the Sonics--and I later wrote a profile of the "guru of go," the only coach to win an NBA title (1980 Lakers) and a WNBA title (2007 Mercury). Interviewing coaches and scouts to talk about basketball strategy and basketball history was one of my favorite things about being a credentialed journalist. 

Speaking of basketball history, it should be noted that Durant recently passed Moses Malone to move into 10th place on the NBA's regular season career scoring list. Of course, as I have frequently insisted, it is historically inaccurate to talk about an NBA-only list while ignoring ABA statistics; the NFL provides full and equal recognition to AFL statistics, and the NBA should do likewise with ABA statistics. Durant currently ranks 13th on the ABA/NBA regular season scoring list, and he is still more than 2000 points behind Moses Malone, who ranks ninth all-time in career regular season scoring. Amin Elhassan's historical analysis often falls short of basic competency--most notably during his repeated, shameful mocking of Bob Cousy--but he was right on target recently during a segment of the Sirius XM NBA show that he co-hosts with Jason Jackson: Elhassan declared that the NBA should immediately grant full recognition to ABA statistics, and he pledged to work with the Players Association and other league contacts that he has in order to make this happen. Hopefully, those are not empty words, because making ABA statistics official is long overdue and--as Elhassan mentioned--it would be great for this to happen while ABA legends such as Julius Erving, Rick Barry, Artis Gilmore, and Dan Issel are still alive to appreciate it.

Labels: Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, L.A. Lakers, LeBron James, Phoenix Suns

posted by David Friedman @ 2:12 AM

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Suns Tame Warriors in Second Game of NBA Opening Night Doubleheader

The new-look Phoenix Suns outlasted the new-look Golden State Warriors 108-104 in the second game of the NBA Opening Night doubleheader. Devin Booker led the Suns with a game-high 32 points on 13-21 field goal shooting and a team-high eight assists while also grabbing six rebounds. Kevin Durant scored 18 points and snared 11 rebounds, but he shot just 7-22 from the field in his first game at Golden State since fleeing the Warriors for what he expected to be greener pastures in Brooklyn after the 2018-19 season. Josh Okogie added 17 points on 7-9 field goal shooting, and Jusuf Nurkic had 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds as the Suns dominated the undersized Warriors 60-49 on the boards. The Suns are hoping that Nurkic will fit in better--and be less disgruntled--than Deandre Ayton was.

Stephen Curry paced the Warriors with 27 points, but he shot 8-20 from the field (including 4-14 from three point range) while passing for just one assist and accumulating a -9 plus/minus number. The other "Splash Brother," Klay Thompson, also struggled, finishing with 15 points on 6-18 field goal shooting. In his first game with the Warriors after spending the past three seasons with the Suns, Chris Paul scored 14 points on 4-15 field goal shooting but he also had a game-high nine assists while only turning the ball over once. Paul had six rebounds and a +5 plus/minus number.

This game had significant momentum swings, as Phoenix led by 15 points (61-46) at halftime, but Golden State rallied to lead by eight points (88-80) early in the fourth quarter. A few consistent themes emerged: without a true point guard running the show the Suns had 19 turnovers and did not shoot as efficiently as usual (42-95, .442), while the Warriors shot even worse than the Suns (36-101, .356) and also struggled to defend the paint and get rebounds to complete defensive possessions.

Each team was missing a key player: the Suns' Bradley Beal was inactive due to back tightness, while the Warriors' Draymond Green was inactive because of a left ankle sprain. Until we see these teams at full strength for an extended period of time it is too early to make definitive judgments about how good they are. The Suns are counting on Beal to provide a significant scoring punch while Booker assumes the point guard role formerly handled by Chris Paul. Green is the Warriors' de facto point guard and the linchpin of their defense.

Labels: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Golden State Warriors, Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns, Stephen Curry

posted by David Friedman @ 9:09 AM

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Nuggets Blot Out Suns, Who Fall Meekly in an Elimination Game for the Second Year in a Row

The Denver Nuggets may hear the doubters, but they are not paying attention to them. The Phoenix Suns are the latest franchise whose attempt to build a super team went down in flames, as the Nuggets rolled into Phoenix for game six and then rolled over the Suns 125-100 to win their second round series and advance to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in four years. The game was not nearly as close as that score might suggest. Two-time regular season MVP Nikola Jokic had to settle for making the All-NBA Second Team this season, but he did not look like second team anything as he hit the Suns with 32 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds, extending to 11 his record for most career playoff triple doubles by a center (a mark held by Wilt Chamberlain--who had nine--for more than 50 years). Jamal Murray, whose availability was in doubt due to a non-COVID illness, added 26 points, four assists, and four rebounds. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope contributed 21 points, five rebounds, and strong defense.

Cameron Payne more than ably filled in for injured Phoenix point guard Chris Paul, scoring a team-high 31 points on 12-16 field goal shooting. However, Payne's elevation into the starting lineup plus the insertion of Jock Landale into the staring lineup in place of injured starting center Deandre Ayton left the Suns' already thin bench almost completely barren; the Suns' reserves scored 12 points on 6-14 field goal shooting. Landale scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds, while Devin Booker finished with 12 points on 4-13 field goal shooting plus a team-high eight assists.

Kevin Durant, who struggled to score efficiently throughout the series, finished with 23 points on 8-19 field goal shooting. After the game, he declined an invitation to provide context for his performance or the team's performance, stating simply that he takes responsibility and that any context he attempts to provide will be dismissed as excuses. Say what you will about Durant's team-hopping, but Durant is a hard worker who plays the right way and makes no excuses. It is a shame that basketball fans did not get treated to multiple Golden State versus Oklahoma City playoff series with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson battling against Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but Durant's choice to flee from accepting that challenge does not diminish what he has accomplished during his career.

Remember all of the "experts" who termed the Suns the proverbial "team nobody wants to face" because of the Booker-Durant duo? Building a championship team is not as easy or instantaneous as making microwaved food for dinner, and the basketball gods have once again issued that message loudly and clearly. Maybe Booker and Durant will win a title together eventually, but it was not realistic to believe that a roster thrown together near the end of the season with no depth and no chemistry would survive four playoff rounds this year.

Remember all of the "experts" who mocked Deandre Ayton and insisted that the Suns should get rid of him? Those hot takes did not age well as the Suns sans Ayton lost the rebounding battle 41-29 while getting outscored in the paint 62-46.

I wonder if the MVP voters who chose Joel Embiid over Nikola Jokic still believe that Embiid is a better basketball player than Jokic and that Embiid has a greater impact on winning. Jokic has now earned his second conference finals appearance, while Embiid just lost at home in a closeout game and now needs a game seven win in Boston to make his first conference finals appearance.

Hubie Brown provided color commentary for ESPN, his first national TV appearance since New York's game three win versus Miami on May 6. It is not surprising that Brown, who led the Kentucky Colonels to the 1975 ABA title with a frontcourt featuring Hall of Famers Artis Gilmore and Dan Issel (and Hall of Fame guard Louie Dampier), loves Jokic: "He's a destroyer at both ends of the floor," Brown said before the game. "He's the total package, and he's leading his team."

Throughout the game, Brown marveled at Jokic's skills while also breaking down what makes him great. After yet another series of deft post moves resulted in a Jokic basket, Brown said, "That's what I like about his game. He slows down, and he has that baby hook." Brown added, "I enjoy watching him play any time from the foul line down. He has so many moves."

The Nuggets led 81-51 at halftime, breaking the record for most points in a half by a road team in the history of the NBA playoffs. Last year, the Dallas Mavericks humiliated the Suns 123-90 in game seven in Phoenix, and in that game the Suns also trailed by 30 at halftime.

Just before halftime, Brown summarized how the Nuggets dominated the Suns: "The defense for Denver has been outstanding" and Denver's "offense has been winning the paint." As the game--and the Suns' season--came to an end, Brown explained why Phoenix lost: "They cannot defend this team. They cannot defend their movement, and they cannot defend the painted area."

Regardless of how much some people talk about three point shooting, spacing, "gravity," and the relative efficiency advantages of shooting three pointers as opposed to posting up, timeless basketball fundamentals are still true and still matter: a team that plays excellent defense and controls the paint is best positioned to make a deep playoff run.

The highlight of this game for me--besides Jokic's all-around mastery and Brown's vivid descriptions of that mastery--happened during the fourth quarter when Brown and play by play announcer Dave Pasch paid tribute to 90 year old Phoenix broadcaster Al McCoy, who is retiring after this season. Pasch raved about the energy of both McCoy and Brown, who is 89 years old, and Pasch added that it is a treat for him to broadcast games alongside Brown. Brown and Pasch visited with McCoy before the game, and Pasch talked about how much he enjoyed listening to their stories from when they both joined the NBA more than 50 years ago. Pasch reminded younger viewers that Brown was an assistant coach with the 1974 Milwaukee team that reached the NBA Finals before serving as the head coach of the 1975 ABA champion Kentucky Colonels. Brown reminisced about his time with the Bucks--who had a young nucleus including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob Dandridge surrounding veteran Oscar Robertson--and he mentioned that his Kentucky championship team had three Hall of Famers. Pasch added that Brown also coached Patrick Ewing and Bernard King with the New York Knicks in the 1980s and then had a successful run with the Memphis Grizzlies two decades later. It should be mentioned not only that Brown won the NBA Coach of the Year award in 1978 and 2004, but that he had top three finishes in 1979, 1980, and 1984.

Based on the scheduling of the remaining second round games and the likelihood that ESPN's main crew will do all of the Conference Finals games, this was probably Brown's last broadcast this season. I hope that he enjoys the offseason and comes back strong for the 2023-24 season!

Labels: Denver Nuggets, Devin Booker, Hubie Brown, Jamal Murray, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Phoenix Suns

posted by David Friedman @ 8:56 AM

3 comments

Nuggets Outshine Suns, Take 3-2 Series Lead

Nikola Jokic led both teams in scoring (29 points), rebounds (13), and assists (12)--his 10th career playoff triple double, breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record--as the Denver Nuggets took command early and breezed to a 118-102 win over the Phoenix Suns. Denver can close out the series and advance to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in four years by winning game six in Phoenix on Thursday night. Bruce Brown was sensational off of the bench, pouring in 25 points in 27 minutes, while Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. scored 19 points each. The Nuggets outrebounded the Suns 50-42, and they held the Suns to .432 field goal shooting, which is impressive considering that the Suns have a high-powered offense and the Nuggets are not considered to be a great defensive team.

Devin Booker, who is leading the NBA in playoff scoring this season (35.9 ppg), "slumped" to a team-high 28 points on 8-19 field goal shooting, and Kevin Durant continued his puzzling inefficiency in this series, shooting 10-24 from the field to amass 26 points. Durant led the Suns with 11 rebounds and seven assists. Starting point guard Chris Paul missed his third straight game due to injury, a recurring theme throughout his playoff career. In the previous two games, the Suns scored 121 points and then 129 points to tie the series at 2-2 after falling behind 2-0 while averaging just 97 ppg in two losses. It is interesting to wonder how the Suns would have performed had Paul not sat out: would they have won two high scoring games with Booker and Durant both putting up big numbers, or would the Suns have continued to lose? 

The narrative that often surrounds Paul's teams--and that has been promoted by "stat gurus" for his entire career--is that Paul's efficiency elevates everyone around him and is the driver of the offense. At the very least, in this small sample size of games we see that Booker, Durant, and the Suns are quite capable of scoring a ton of points--and twice beating the number one seed in the Western Conference--without Paul. That is not to suggest that Paul is a bad player or that his presence hurts his team, but it is to suggest that (1) his impact on team success is overrated and (2) to the extent that he impacts team success this impact is not consistently felt in the playoffs: Paul has been front and center for some embarrassing playoff debacles, including last year's 123-90 game seven loss at home to Dallas, and five blown 2-0 series leads (an NBA record for one player).

The Nuggets may be the most under the radar number one seed that we have seen in the NBA for quite some time--not that it matters too much what people who do not understand the sport think, but it is unusual that a consistently successful team led by a two-time regular season MVP is regarded so lightly. Considering the early elimination of the number one overall seed Milwaukee Bucks, and the shaky play of the Boston Celtics--who now trail 3-2 versus the Philadelphia 76ers--a logical argument could be made that the Nuggets should be considered the NBA championship favorites.

Labels: Chris Paul, Denver Nuggets, Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Phoenix Suns

posted by David Friedman @ 10:12 AM

6 comments

Big Performances by Booker and Durant Offset Jokic's 53 Point Game as Suns Win Game Four, Tie Series Versus Nuggets

It seems like a long time ago that Denver took a 2-0 lead versus Phoenix. Devin Booker (36 points on 14-18 field goal shooting) and Kevin Durant (36 points on 11-19 field goal shooting) led the way as the Suns beat the Nuggets 129-124 to tie the series at 2-2 and set up a critically important game five in Denver. The Suns' thin bench has been a problem since the Suns traded away several players to acquire Durant, so it seemed like the groin injury suffered by Chris Paul in game two that has forced him to miss games three and four would be a fatal blow--but without the aging Paul the Suns are pushing the ball up the court and creating easier scoring opportunities. Also, in game four Landry Shamet scored 19 points as the Nuggets unsuccessfully employed an "anyone but Booker or Durant" defense that intentionally left him open; that strategy failed because, as the above numbers show, the Nuggets not only failed to contain Booker and Durant but they enabled a third scorer to join the party.

Through the first nine games of a playoff season, few players have scored more points than Devin Booker has in the 2023 playoffs (331, 36.8 ppg), and no one who scored more than Booker had a higher field goal percentage than his .617. In the four games versus the Nuggets, Booker is averaging 36.3 ppg on .637 field goal shooting. It is fair to say that playing alongside Durant (who is averaging 32.0 ppg on .469 field goal shooting versus the Nuggets) has unleashed Booker's already potent offensive game. In the Suns' 121-114 game three win, Booker poured in 47 points while Durant added 39 points. Booker's 2023 playoff scoring is on a tier shared with only Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, and Michael Jordan.

The Nuggets wasted a great performance by Nikola Jokic, who scored 53 points on 20-30 field goal shooting while also passing for 11 assists. The only center who scored more points in a playoff game is Wilt Chamberlain, whose 56 points on March 22, 1962 set the NBA's single game playoff record that stood for less than a month before sublime forward Elgin Baylor scored 61 points in game five of the 1962 NBA Finals. Jokic is putting up his own historic numbers in this series, averaging 36.5 ppg on .570 field goal shooting while leading both teams in rebounding (14.0 rpg) and assists (9.5 apg). In game three, Jokic had 30 points, 17 rebounds, and 17 assists. 

Jamal Murray had 28 points and seven assists, but no other Nugget scored more than 11 points. Murray is having an excellent series (26.0 ppg, 7.3 apg, 5.0 rpg), but the Nuggets need more consistent production from other players in order to counter the Booker-Durant pyrotechnics.

A bizarre play happened with 2:36 remaining in the second quarter and the Nuggets leading, 55-54. After the ball sailed out of bounds near the baseline, Phoenix owner Mat Ishbia refused to give the ball to Jokic. Jokic ripped the ball out of Ishbia's hands, and made light contact with Ishbia's chest, after which Ishbia flopped backwards as if he had been shot by a sniper. Meanwhile, another "fan" made contact with Jokic. The referees huddled together to sort things out, and decided to assess a technical foul against Jokic. The fan who made contact with Jokic was ejected, but Ishbia was not disciplined. After the game, Jokic mentioned that he thought that the NBA was supposed to protect players from the fans; Denver Coach Michael Malone made a similar point, noting that fans do not have a right to interfere in a game by holding on to the basketball and stating that this applies even if the fan is an NBA owner. 

The NBA office should rescind Jokic's technical foul, and--at the very least--publicly reprimand Ishbia while making clear what consequences will be dealt out if any fan (including an owner) engages in similar conduct. If the NBA office does not act, look forward to many other owners and courtside fans interfering in games: that free point matters in a close game, that technical foul moved Jokic one step closer to being ejected (and, if not rescinded, adds to a tally that could result in an automatic suspension if he accumulates more than seven technical fouls during the playoffs), and yet Ishbia has faced no consequences for blatantly interfering in the game. Also, I have no idea what the gambling line was for this game, but it is easy to see how an extra point could have a significant financial impact for anyone who bet on this game, which highlights the risk that the league has taken by entangling itself with gambling.

Regarding the game and the series overall, there is a tendency to overreact to each individual game as if there has been a major momentum shift. These teams are evenly matched, albeit with different strengths and weaknesses. I picked Denver to win in seven games, so I did not expect a Denver sweep after the Nuggets won the first two games at home and I do not expect the Suns to win out the rest of the way after winning their first two home games. It is normal for both teams to win games in playoff series, but in today's media world/social media world featuring hot takes that are a mile wide but only an inch deep people latch on to simple answers and biased narratives. Think about how crazy it is that three of the last four coaches who led teams to NBA titles (Mike Budenholzer, Frank Vogel, Nick Nurse) have been let go by the teams that they guided to the mountaintop; did all of those guys suddenly forget how to develop effective strategies and lead players? No, but we now live in a world that classifies every loss as a colossal failure for which blame must be assigned instead of as a step in a growth process. Many of the greatest coaches of all-time in a variety of sports took several years to win their first championship; in today's environment, would John Wooden, Tom Landry, Don Shula, Dean Smith, or Larry Brown have lasted long enough to put together their Hall of Fame resumes?

Labels: Denver Nuggets, Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Phoenix Suns

posted by David Friedman @ 11:02 AM

4 comments

Jokic Dominates as Nuggets Take 2-0 Series Lead Over Suns

The number one seed that few commentators seem to respect and that every team supposedly wanted to face is now up 2-0 versus a Phoenix Suns team that many observers crowned as a future champion. Nikola Jokic, the reigning two-time regular season MVP, was by far the best player on the court, scoring a game-high 39 points on 17-30 field goal shooting, pulling down a game-high 16 rebounds, and passing for five assists as his Denver Nuggets beat the Suns, 97-87. Jokic may not look or move like some people expect a basketball player to look or move, but he is intelligent, skillful, and STRONG; that combination of traits means that he knows where to go, he knows how to get there, and no one is able to stop him from getting there. Some people used to think that European players are soft. Many of these European players grew up in war zones; they are not soft, and they do not back down from fake tough guys who try to send messages with cheap shots (hello, Markieff Morris).

The Nuggets won despite Jamal Murray having an off game (10 points on 3-15 field goal shooting), Michael Porter Jr. disappearing (five points on 2-7 field goal shooting), and their bench players combining to score just 13 points (it helped the Nuggets that the Suns' bench players scored only four points). 

Devin Booker, who ranks just behind Jimmy Butler in the 2023 NBA playoffs scoring race, scored 35 points on 14-29 field goal shooting while also passing for six assists and grabbing five rebounds. Kevin Durant had an uncharacteristically inefficient game, scoring 24 points on 10-27 field goal shooting. Deandre Ayton--whose self-proclaimed "Dominayton" nickname does not seem likely to age well--had 14 points and eight rebounds. Chris Paul had a quiet game (eight points, six assists, five rebounds in 25 minutes) before suffering a groin injury in the third quarter that forced him to miss the rest of the game; his status for game three (and the rest of the series) has not been publicly revealed. I have sympathy for Paul and I hope that he makes a quick, full recovery, but let's be honest--a Chris Paul playoff injury is predictable under any circumstances, and even more so now that the Suns' bench is thin: in my series preview, I wrote that "it is just a matter of time before one or more of the Suns' starters either wears down or gets injured. Booker, Durant, and Paul have all been injury-prone in recent seasons even without carrying the workload that they are currently shouldering."

Game two was very different stylistically from game one, when the Nuggets beat the Suns in a 125-107 shootout. Murray shined in that game (34 points, nine assists, 13-24 field goal shooting), and Jokic added 24 points, 19 rebounds, and five assists. Aaron Gordon contributed 23 points and six rebounds. Durant led the Suns in scoring (29 points) and rebounding (14 rebounds), but he had seven turnovers. Booker scored 27 points.

Thus, we have seen the Nuggets beat the Suns in a shootout, and we have seen the Nuggets grind down the Suns in a sloppy, low scoring game. The Suns will most likely be more efficient and productive at home, but if Paul is unable to play then their thin bench will be stretched to the breaking point. Booker can shift to point guard but is he going to play 48 minutes? If not, who is going to take up those minutes?

Building a championship team is not easy, nor should it be. It is understandable why the Suns traded away much of their depth to acquire two-time NBA Finals MVP Durant, but you cannot just throw a few talented players together with little practice time and a barren bench and then expect them to win a seven game series against an experienced team that has been together for a while and earned the top seed in the Western Conference. The LeBron James-Dwyane Wade-Chris Bosh Miami Heat did not win a championship in their first season together despite having a full training camp and a full regular season together--and those three players were each in their primes. Paul is past his prime, and Durant is no youngster, even though he still plays at an All-NBA Team level.

The 2011 Dallas Mavericks did not have a single elite player other than Dirk Nowitzki--Jason Kidd is an all-time great, but he was well past his prime by then--but they beat the James-Wade-Bosh super team in the NBA Finals. A similar storyline, albeit two rounds earlier, seems to be unfolding in this Denver-Phoenix series. 

If the Nuggets advance and then go on to win the championship, Jokic is not going to channel LeBron James in the Orlando "bubble" and whine, "I want my respect," but Jokic has more than earned respect by the way that he plays and the way that he leads his team.

Labels: Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, Denver Nuggets, Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Phoenix Suns

posted by David Friedman @ 11:51 AM

0 comments

Denver Versus Phoenix Preview

Western Conference Second Round

#1 Denver (53-29) vs. #4 Phoenix (45-37)

Season series: Tied, 2-2

Phoenix can win if…Kevin Durant is the best player in the series, Devin Booker averages more than 25 ppg, and Deandre Ayton scores efficiently while racking up double doubles. Chris Paul is the fourth option now and he is only expected to carry a fraction of the load that he shouldered during his prime, but the Suns need for him to stay healthy and not wear down, both of which have been issues throughout his playoff career.

During the Suns' 4-1 first round win versus the L.A. Clippers, Booker scored 37.2 ppg while shooting .602 from the field. That is by far the best playoff series performance of his career, as he had never previously averaged 30 ppg in a playoff series, and he had only once shot at least .500 from the field in a playoff series.

Durant averaged 28.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, and 6.2 apg during the first round with shooting splits of .518/.458/.956. That is not too shabby for the second option! Of course, Durant is the first option, but the point is that when opposing teams tilt their defense toward him that gives Booker room to go wild.

Field goal attempts are sparse at times for Ayton, but he played well against the Clippers, averaging 16.0 ppg and 11.2 rpg while shooting .530 from the field. 

Paul had pedestrian numbers by his standards in the first round (13.6 ppg, 8.2 apg, and 6.0 rpg with shooting splits of .414/.348/.500) but the main thing that the Suns need from him is to just stay healthy enough to play 35-40 mpg so that they do not have to rely on their thin bench too often.

Denver will win because…Nikola Jokic is the reigning two-time regular season MVP, and he has an excellent, underrated supporting cast. Jokic averaged 26.2 ppg, 12.4 rpg, and 9.0 apg as the Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1 in the first round. Those numbers mirror his outstanding regular season production: 24.5 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 9.8 apg. Jokic ranked second in the league in rebounding, third in assists, and 18th in scoring.

Jamal Murray led the Nuggets in scoring in the first round (27.2 ppg) while also contributing 6.4 apg and 5.6 rpg. Four Nuggets other than Jokic and Murray scored at least 10.4 ppg in the first round: Michael Porter Jr. (16.4 ppg), Aaron Gordon (13.4 ppg), Bruce Brown (11.4 ppg), and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (10.4 ppg).

The Nuggets' starters match up well enough with the Suns' starters, but some of the key moments in this series could happen when both teams go to their benches; I would expect the Nuggets to win those minutes, which could persuade Phoenix Coach Monty Williams to shorten his rotation, which could result in his starters becoming worn down or injured.

The Nuggets somehow managed to fly under the radar despite finishing with the best record in the Western Conference before dispatching the Timberwolves without much trouble. It is difficult to think of another top seeded team at full strength that has been so lightly regarded.

Other things to consider: Denver reached the Western Conference Finals in 2020 before battling injuries in the next two seasons. Now, the Nuggets are healthy, and they have a roster that is both deeper and more talented than their 2020 roster.

The Suns have tremendous firepower at the top of their roster, but they traded away much of their depth to acquire Durant. The Suns also lack quality size other than Ayton and Durant. Lack of depth and lack of size add up to a team that can be worn down over the course of a seven game series. Three of the Suns' starters--Booker, Durant, and Paul--each averaged at least 38.5 mpg during the first round, with Booker and Durant each averaging more than 43 mpg. I wish no ill toward any of their players, but realistically it is just a matter of time before one or more of the Suns' starters either wears down or gets injured. Booker, Durant, and Paul have all been injury-prone in recent seasons even without carrying the workload that they are currently shouldering.

Due to injuries, the Clippers lacked the necessary talent and depth to keep pace with the Suns, but the top seeded Nuggets are well-equipped to challenge the Suns.

Labels: Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, Denver Nuggets, Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Phoenix Suns

posted by David Friedman @ 11:56 PM

4 comments

Suns Outlast Valiant but Shorthanded Clippers, Advance to Second Round Showdown Versus Nuggets

Devin Booker scored a game-high 47 points on 19-27 field goal shooting while also passing for a game-high 10 assists and grabbing eight rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 136-130 victory versus the L.A. Clippers. Kevin Durant added 31 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Deandre Ayton had 21 points plus a game-high 11 rebounds. The Suns won this first round series 4-1, and will face the Denver Nuggets--who eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 4-1--in the second round. I will provide in depth analysis of the both the Nuggets and the Suns in my series preview article, so the remainder of this article will focus on the Clippers.

The Clippers were without the services of injured stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, two players who load managed their way through the regular season to preserve themselves for the playoffs only to be unavailable when it mattered the most. L.A. Clippers Coach Tyronn Lue offered this succinct comment during his postgame press conference: "Take the two best players off any team in the league and see if they can win in the playoffs."

Norman Powell led the Clippers with 27 points. Mason Plumlee added 20 points off of the bench, and he tied Ivica Zubac for team-high honors with 10 rebounds. Russell Westbrook paced the Clippers with eight assists and he snared eight rebounds, but he scored just 14 points on 3-18 field goal shooting. 

It is difficult to beat a team featuring a trio scoring 99 points on 38-64 field goal shooting (.594), but the shorthanded Clippers never gave up despite trailing by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter. The Clippers outscored the Suns 36-18 in a little over eight minutes to cut the lead to 130-128 with 2:46 remaining in the contest. The Clippers had several opportunities to tie the score or take the lead, but they just could not get over the hump.

Westbrook was the only Clippers' starter who played all 12 fourth quarter minutes, contributing four assists while committing one turnover; he scored two points on 1-4 field goal shooting, but his energy and passing fueled the comeback. It is easy to nitpick his shooting percentage and his shot selection--and there is no doubt that many commentators will spend a lot of time doing that--but if you watched this game, this series, and this season with understanding then you know that Westbrook is still an excellent player who can make a significant contribution to a winning program. After the game, Coach Lue praised Westbrook for saving the Clippers' season and enabling them to make this playoff run. Paul George has publicly stated that he wants the Clippers to bring Westbrook back next season.

It is not contradictory or illogical to state that the Clippers would have benefited from Westbrook shooting a better field goal percentage while also acknowledging that without Westbrook's other contributions the Clippers would not have been competitive at all in this game, let alone in this series.

Long-time readers who are familiar with my critiques of James Harden's annual playoff collapses may wonder how Westbrook's poor shooting in an elimination game is different than James Harden's playoff "concert tour" shooting percentages. That is easy--Harden's playoff choking is about more than just missing shots (although he misses plenty of shots); he also often plays in a disinterested, detached, and unenergetic manner, which is the exact opposite of how Westbrook plays. There is a big difference between missing shots while playing hard versus missing shots while going through the motions.

Again, it is fair to say that Westbrook should be expected to shoot a better percentage than he did in game five, but Westbrook's shooting must be placed in the overall context of his performance during this series--including the fact that, as Coach Lue stated, the Clippers had no realistic chance to prevail with both of their top two players out of the lineup.

Not too long ago, the L.A. Lakers and their media sycophants tried very hard to destroy Westbrook's reputation and end his career. It is great that he escaped from the Lakers and proved that he can still play at a high level. 

Labels: Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, L.A. Clippers, load management, Norman Powell, Phoenix Suns, Russell Westbrook

posted by David Friedman @ 2:33 AM

17 comments

Suns Overcome Westbrook's 37 Points, Take 3-1 Series Lead Over Shorthanded Clippers

Kevin Durant (31 points, 11 rebounds, six assists) and Devin Booker (30 points, nine rebounds, seven assists) led the way as the Phoenix Suns overcame an 11 point deficit and a sensational 37 point performance by Russell Westbrook to defeat the shorthanded L.A. Clippers, 112-100. The Suns' third future Hall of Famer, Chris Paul, started slowly but finished with 19 points and a game-high nine assists. It is way too soon to say whether or not the Suns are a legitimate championship contender; right now, they are facing an injury-depleted team, so we do not know how the Suns will react when they play against a team that can match up with them--and we also do not know if Durant, Booker, and Paul can stay healthy for an extended playoff run.

The Clippers were without the services of Paul George--who will likely miss the entire series due to a knee injury--and Kawhi Leonard, who missed a second straight game as he nurses a knee injury. The absences of George and Leonard personify the failure of load management: the Clippers load managed George and Leonard all season with the express goal of having both players available for the playoffs, but neither player is available now.

Meanwhile, Westbrook almost singlehandedly kept the Clippers in the game, shooting 17-29 from the field while also contributing six rebounds and four assists. Clippers not named Westbrook shot 23-63 from the field (.365), and no Clipper other than Westbrook scored more than 14 points.

Westbrook is just the sixth player in franchise history to post back to back 30 point playoff games, and he is averaging 26.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and 7.3 apg while shooting .460 from the field (including .409 from three point range) in this series. 

After the game, Westbrook said, "We make no excuses around here. We just got to make sure we rally around each other, keep competing and leave it on the floor." It is refreshing to watch and listen to a player who is truly a "no-excuse" player, as opposed to players who claim to be "no-excuse" players only to then offer up many weak excuses.

Remember that just two months ago, the Lakers traded Westbrook while they and their media sycophants blamed Westbrook for everything that has ever gone wrong in L.A. We were told that Westbrook is washed up, that he is a bad teammate, and that any contender foolish enough to sign him would soon regret doing so.

All three accusations are demonstrably false.

Westbrook's detractors insisted that D'Angelo Russell would be a better fit for the Lakers, particularly in the playoffs. Russell's career playoff numbers are 14.8 ppg, 5.3 apg, 3.4 rpg, and .345 FG%. That includes 12.0/5.5/5.5/.321 in two playoff games with the 2023 Lakers. Russell's playoff career-highs (not all in the same game) are 26 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. 

Westbrook's playoff career averages are 24.5 ppg, 7.9 apg, and 7.2 rpg. 

D'Angelo Russell's best playoff game ever is, quite literally, an average playoff game for Russell Westbrook.

I will repeat and emphasize what I wrote after game one of this series:

Brian Windhorst, Dave McMenamin, Amin Elhassan, and everyone else who wrote or said nonsense about Westbrook should be forced to watch this game while writing over and over--Bart Simpson-style--"I will stop making inaccurate statements about Russell Westbrook." Westbrook is not washed up, he is not poisonous in the locker room, and he can make significant contributions to a winning team even when he is not shooting well. Those are all demonstrable facts evidenced not just in this one game, but throughout Westbrook's Hall of Fame career.

So, why is there so much Westbrook hate?

I have stated my informed answer to that question before so I will not repeat myself, but it is worth emphasizing that any qualified and objective observer would not say the things about Westbrook that so many so-called experts have said. Hubie Brown and Jeff Van Gundy never bashed Westbrook.

Read between the lines, take out the words typed in bold, and you will understand not only media coverage of the NBA but media coverage of many subjects.

Labels: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, L.A. Clippers, load management, Phoenix Suns, Russell Westbrook

posted by David Friedman @ 9:56 PM

0 comments

Suns Outlast Mavericks, 130-126

The Phoenix Suns improved to 3-0 with Kevin Durant in the lineup after defeating the Dallas Mavericks, 130-126. Durant scored a game-high 37 points while shooting 12-17 from the field (including 3-5 from three point range) and 10-10 from the free throw line. He also had seven rebounds and three assists. Devin Booker scored 36 points on 15-25 field goal shooting (including 1-3 from three point range), and he contributed a game-high 10 assists, nearly matching the assist total (15) of the isolation-heavy Mavericks. Ish Wainright scored 12 points off of the bench in just 14 minutes while shooting 4-6 from the field, including 4-5 from beyond the arc. Chris Paul had a solid but quiet game (11 points, seven assists, six rebounds), while Deandre Ayton grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds and made the most of his limited offensive opportunities (nine points on 4-6 field goal shooting). Thanks mainly to Ayton, the Suns dominated the boards, 41-31.

Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 34 points, but he shot just 8-23 from the field while amassing five turnovers to go along with four assists and a team-high nine rebounds. Kyrie Irving scored 30 points on 10-19 field goal shooting, and he topped the Mavericks with seven assists. Tim Hardaway Jr. (21 points) and Christian Wood (17 points) provided 38 of Dallas' 48 points off of the bench.

The Mavericks humiliated the top-seeded Suns in a game seven rout last year to advance to the Western Conference Finals, but both teams recently made significant personnel changes. The Suns gave up Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson, and four first round draft picks to acquire Durant, while the Mavericks shipped out Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first round draft pick, and multiple second round draft picks to acquire Irving. Both teams sacrificed depth and potential future resources to try to win now. It will be very interesting to see how those decisions pan out not only in the 2023 playoffs but in the years to come. Losing Jalen Brunson in free agency last summer hurt the Mavericks, and they gave up a lot of value with the hope that Irving can not only replace Brunson but augment what Brunson provided during last year's playoff run. The Suns desperately need Durant to provide the clutch scoring that was missing during their 2021 and 2022 playoff runs, and they will also need for him to be active defensively to make up for the losses of Bridges and Crowder, two excellent defensive players.

It was a treat to listen to Hubie Brown do the color commentary for this game. I believe that his most recent game prior to this was Milwaukee's 128-99 rout of Miami on Friday February 24. Brown made several timely and most relevant observations. For instance, both teams frequently complained about the officiating. Brown said that within the first five to seven minutes of a game you can figure out--as a coach or as a player--how that game is being officiated. Whether or not you agree with how the game is being officiated, once you know what is happening it is important to adjust to it, not complain, and not cost your team points by getting technical fouls. It is vital to not let the officiating style throw your game off, regardless of whether the game is being called very tightly, or the game is being called very loosely. Luka Doncic in particular could benefit from hearing (and heeding) Brown's counsel on this topic, as Doncic wastes far too much time and energy complaining to the officials.

Regarding how to incorporate newly acquired players into the rotation in the middle of the season, Brown emphasized that newly acquired players must accept the game plan at both ends of the court while also adjusting to any differences in style between their previous coaching staff and their current coaching staff.

Throughout the game, Brown was on point in detecting and explaining momentum changes. He also broke down the strategic decisions made by both coaching staffs.

It is obvious that the Mavericks have a shortage of good defensive players, and that the Mavericks lack size. Jeff Van Gundy recently--and correctly--noted that small teams rarely win championships. If you watch the Mavericks closely then you will notice that Coach Jason Kidd--a great defensive player during his long Hall of Fame career--uses various schemes and rotations to compensate for Dallas' lack of size and dearth of plus defenders. Versus the Suns, the Mavericks packed the paint to cut off driving lanes and midrange shots for Durant and Booker, willingly conceding three point shots to Josh Okogie, who shot 3-13 from the field overall while missing all eight of his attempts from beyond the arc. In the second half, Wainright punished the Mavericks' scheme by making the same open three pointers that Okogie had been missing. One could call this defense "He with us"--that is how Jalen Rose refers to the thought process behind consistently leaving an opposing player wide open--and if the Suns' role players make those open shots during the playoffs then the Suns will be very difficult to guard. The Mavericks' offense mainly consists of Doncic or Irving isolating to either score or else generate an open three point shot for someone else. The playoff games that the Mavericks win this year will feature Doncic and Irving each scoring 25-plus points while the team makes at least 15-20 three pointers, while the playoff games that the Mavericks lose will feature Doncic or Irving being contained while the three point shooters are off target. The Mavericks are unlikely to be involved in--let alone win--low scoring defensive slugfests.

The Suns' main weakness is lack of depth. The drop off when Durant is not on the court is dramatic. That is a concern because Durant has not been able to stay healthy for the past several years: he has played in 55 games or less each season since 2018-19, including missing the entire 2019-20 season because of a ruptured right Achilles tendon suffered in game five of the 2019 NBA Finals. Durant has not made a full playoff run past the second round since he led the Golden State Warriors to the 2018 championship (the Warriors reached the 2019 NBA Finals, but injuries limited Durant to playing in just 12 of the Warriors’ 22 playoff games). The current iteration of the Suns led by Booker, Paul, and Ayton squandered a 2-0 NBA Finals lead over the Milwuakee Bucks in 2021 and then suffered the aforementioned epic game seven collapse versus the Mavericks last season after posting the NBA's best regular season record. Paul is almost 38 years old, and he has been injury-prone throughout his career, but it is worth noting that even the 26 year old Booker has hardly been a paragon of durability. It is reasonable to expect that both Paul and Booker will miss some playoff games, which puts an even greater onus on Durant to be available and highly productive.

Labels: Chris Paul, Dallas Mavericks, Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker, Hubie Brown, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Phoenix Suns

posted by David Friedman @ 8:05 AM

17 comments

Suns Go All-In With Kevin Durant Acquisition

The Phoenix Suns squandered a 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 NBA Finals, and they suffered a humiliating game seven home loss to Dallas in the second round of the 2022 playoffs, so it is evident that the Devin Booker-Chris Paul-Deandre Ayton trio is missing a crucial ingredient to win a title.

Enter Kevin Durant, two-time NBA champion/two-time NBA Finals MVP. The Suns acquired Durant and T.J. Warren from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson, and four first round draft picks (the Nets subsequently sent Crowder to the Milwaukee Bucks). The Suns gave up a lot of valuable assets, but they acquired an all-time great player who is averaging 29.7 ppg this season while leading the league in free throw percentage (.934). I love Bridges' versatility, his commitment to play in every game--no load management for him--and his tough defense, but the price for Durant is understandably high even considering his age and injury history.

Durant is an elite three level scorer who is also an above average rebounder, passer, and defensive player. He will command double teams and space the floor to open up opportunities for Booker--who made the All-NBA First Team last season--and others. The injury-riddled Suns rank 21st in scoring and 22nd in field goal percentage this season, but they ranked fifth and first respectively in those categories last season--when they enjoyed better health--and with Durant in the fold they could emerge as the league's most efficient and productive offense.

It is fair to wonder about the Suns' chemistry--Crowder refused to play for the Suns, Ayton's relationship with Coach Monty Williams has been tempestuous at times, and Paul's teams often suffer from internal strife despite his reputation for being a great leader--but on paper the Suns have superior top level talent, solid depth, and impressive versatility. It is premature to crown them as championship favorites--after all, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were expected to lead Brooklyn to a championship but they never carried the Nets past the second round--but there is no doubt that the Suns have the potential to be exceptional at both ends of the court. Durant, Booker, and Paul are midrange assassins, the Suns were a very good three point shooting team even before acquiring Durant, and the Suns' already excellent defense should not miss a beat with Durant playing either forward position.

Regarding the Nets, in less than a week they traded away Durant and Irving, and they went from at least believing/hoping that they could be a championship contender to understanding that they are in a transition phase. The Nets lack star power, but they still have several very good players, and they are capable of reaching the playoffs with their current roster. It will be interesting to see if the Nets try to add a star in the offseason, or if they go into full rebuilding mode.

While the Nets sort out their long term future, it is stand and deliver time for the Suns and specifically for Chris Paul, who is often praised as "the best leader in the NBA." Paul's teams have blown five 2-0 series leads, his Clippers squandered a 3-1 lead versus the Rockets in 2015, his game seven record is 3-5, and--as noted above--his Suns disappeared in game seven at home versus Dallas last year. Every time Paul loses, excuses proliferate like weeds in an unmaintained yard. Now, Paul has an MVP caliber small forward, an MVP caliber shooting guard, an All-Star caliber center, and solid role players. If he does not finish his career with at least one NBA title, there are no acceptable excuses.

Labels: Brooklyn Nets, Cam Johnson, Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker, Jae Crowder, Kevin Durant, Mikal Bridges, Phoenix Suns

posted by David Friedman @ 11:39 PM

8 comments

Donovan Mitchell Joins the Elite 70 Point Game Club

Last night, Donovan Mitchell scored 71 points as his Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Chicago Bulls 145-134 in overtime. Mitchell shot 22-34 from the field, including 7-15 from three point range, and he shot 20-25 from the free throw line. He also had 11 assists, becoming the first player to post double digit assists in a 70 point game. Mitchell scored 13 of Cleveland's 15 overtime points. Gilbert Arenas holds the regular season overtime period scoring record (16 points), while Stephen Curry holds the playoff overtime period scoring record (17 points).

Mitchell's career-high and franchise best performance is just the second 70 point game that required at least one overtime period; on December 6, 1961, Chamberlain scored 78 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 151-147 triple overtime loss to the L.A. Lakers. The only players who scored more than 78 points in an NBA game are Chamberlain--whose record 100 point game will probably never be matched--and Kobe Bryant, who scored 81 points as his L.A. Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006.

Mitchell is just the seventh player in pro basketball history to score at least 70 points in a game. Chamberlain, who had six 70 point games, is the only player with multiple 70 point games. Elgin Baylor scored a then-record 71 points on November 15, 1960 as his L.A. Lakers defeated the New York Knicks 123-108. Chamberlain's 78 point game broke Baylor's record, and then a few months later Chamberlain had his legendary 100 point game. 

The third player to have a 70 point game is David Thompson, who scored 73 points in the final game of the 1977-78 season but still lost the closest scoring title race ever after George Gervin answered with a 63 point outburst. The next 70 point game took place 16 years later, when David Robinson poured in 71 points to win the scoring title over Shaquille O'Neal. Bryant joined the 70 Point Club 12 years later, and then 11 years passed before Devin Booker scored 70 points in a 10 point loss after his Phoenix Suns repeatedly committed fouls at the end of the game so that Booker could get more shot attempts.

Mitchell's performance was sensational, and much more legitimate than Booker's not just because Mitchell's team won but also because Mitchell's scoring was essential for the win. That being said, Booker and Mitchell are without question the least accomplished members of the 70 Point Club, as Baylor, Chamberlain, and Bryant are Pantheon members while Robinson is one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players and Thompson is a Hall of Famer who was an MVP caliber player in the mid to late 1970s before drug abuse derailed his career. 

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.

Labels: David Robinson, David Thompson, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 10:26 PM

4 comments

Doncic Eclipses Suns as Mavericks Reach the Western Conference Finals for the First Time Since 2011

Stunning. Unprecedented. Humiliating.

I am disinclined to use hyberbole, but I am at a loss to describe what the Dallas Mavericks did to the 64-18 Phoenix Suns in Phoenix in a 123-90 game seven rout. By the time Chris Paul--supposedly the best leader in the NBA--made his first field goal his Suns trailed by 40; the Suns were so far behind they couldn't see the Mavericks with a telescope, a time machine, or a fortune teller. 

I picked the Suns to win this series not because I have great faith in Paul, but because I thought that he had so much talent, depth, and versatility surrounding him that his predictable drop off in play would not prove fatal in this round. I was wrong about that.

Early in the second half, the score was 30-29--not the game score, but the Luka Doncic versus Phoenix score. That is Kobe Bryant-level domination; Bryant once outscored the Dallas Mavericks 62-61 for three quarters, but even Bryant did not do that in a playoff game, though it should be remembered that he did it against a Dallas team that reached the NBA Finals that season.

Doncic finished with 35 points on 12-19 field goal shooting. He played just 30 minutes and he sat out the entire fourth quarter, or else he could have scored 50 points. Doncic also led Dallas with 10 rebounds and four assists. Spencer Dinwiddie poured in 30 points off of the bench on 11-15 field goal shooting. Doncic and Dinwiddie are the first teammates to each score at least 30 points in a game seven since Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant did it a generation ago. Joel Embiid and James Harden are dreaming that someday they will play as well together in a game seven as Luka Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie just did. Jalen Brunson added 24 points on 11-19 field goal shooting.

The Suns' statistics look like typographical errors. Cameron Johnson led them in scoring with 12 points. Devin Booker (11), Chris Paul (10), and Deandre Ayton (five) scored fewer combined points in 85 minutes than Doncic did. After the game, Suns Coach Monty Williams stated that Ayton's minutes were limited to 17 for "internal reasons," which is an interesting thing to say publicly after a game in which the minutes of many players--including Ayton--could have been limited due to poor performance. It sounds like something may be amiss in the Suns' locker room, which is a stunning development considering that the team's point guard is the best leader in the NBA.

Paul shot 4-8 from the field, Booker shot 3-14 from the field, and Ayton shot 2-5 from the field. That is 9-27 combined, which looks like a James Harden "concert tour" date, not the field goal percentages of an MVP candidate, the "Point God," and a player seeking a max contract. Those field goal made numbers and percentages sound like the punchline of a bad joke: what happened when an MVP candidate, a "Point God" and a player seeking a max contract showed up to play game seven at home? 4, 3, 2, and poof, they disappeared!

If anyone wondered who the best player in this series is, Doncic began loudly answering that question right after the opening tip, hitting a fadeaway jumper followed by two three pointers. Doncic led the Suns 8-3 and it was all downhill from there for the Suns. The Mavericks outscored the Suns 27-17 in the first quarter, but the second quarter was worse for the Suns: they were outscored 30-10. Paul played all 12 minutes in the second quarter, absorbing a -20 plus/minus number while "leading" the way with one point. There is a joke about the "Club Trillion" bench players who have a box score number of 1 minute played followed by a bunch of zeroes, as if they were trillionaires; Paul came perilously close to posting a second quarter boxscore number of 12 trillion, as his only non-zero numbers other than minutes were two missed field goals, 1-2 from the free throw line, and one foul. He had no rebounds, no assists, no steals, no blocked shots, and no turnovers. 

Am I belaboring the point? Am I making too much of one game? If you think so, then consider how much grief Kobe Bryant was given about his supposedly bad performance in the 2004 NBA Finals, when his injury-riddled Lakers lost 4-1 to the Detroit Pistons. Now, imagine that Bryant--whether as a 17 year old, a 27 year old, or a 37 year old--went into the playoffs leading a 64 win team and then lost by 33 points at home while the other team's star outscored his entire team for more than a half, and while Bryant put up a second quarter boxscore consisting of one point, no rebounds, no assists, no steals, and no blocked shots.

What do you suppose might have been said about Bryant after such a game? 

I say that players should be evaluated by the same standards. A player's legacy is not defined by one game, but by his overall resume. When I look at Bryant, I see a 5-2 Finals record, I see his team generally winning as the favorite and generally being competitive as the underdog. I see him putting up tremendous individual numbers on a consistent basis. For those reasons (and more), I put him in my pro basketball Pantheon.

When I look at Chris Paul, I see no championships despite playing for several excellent teams. I see his team losing more than once as the favorite. I see that no player in NBA history has blown more 2-0 playoff leads than Chris Paul, whose teams have squandered such an advantage five times: 2008 versus the Spurs, 2013 versus the Grizzlies, 2016 versus the Trail Blazers, 2021 versus the Bucks, and now 2022 versus the Mavericks. Paul's Clippers also blew a 3-1 lead versus the Houston Rockets in 2015; the Clippers split the first two games when Paul was out with an injury, but then after his return in game three they eventually lost three straight games. Paul is now 3-5 in game seven showdowns. 

In light of that evidence, I try to understand why "stat gurus" and media members pump up Paul to be more than he is. 

The harsh reality is that there is nowhere to hide in the playoffs. Players can inflate and manipulate their numbers to some extent in the regular season, and "stat gurus" team up with media members to craft agenda-based narratives advocating that those players receive various awards--but then the playoffs arrive, and every year we see Harden go on his "concert tour" and Paul cough up so many playoff leads his voice should sound like General Grievous in "Star Wars."

I've been saying this for well over a decade, but maybe people will pay attention now (I doubt it, but I'll keep trying anyway): Paul is an undersized player who consistently wears down and/or gets injured in the playoffs. He is a great player who has a lot of heart, but undersized players simply cannot be as valuable as players who are 6-6 and bigger who have comparable skills (let alone bigger players who also have superior skills). There is one player 6-3 or under in my pro basketball Pantheon: Jerry West, who would give the business to any other similarly-sized player in pro basketball history. Isiah Thomas did not quite reach Pantheon-level, but he led Detroit to back to back titles without having a teammate who made the NBA's 50th Anniversary Team, and he had a winning career record head to head against Bird, Magic, and Jordan. People who compare Paul favorably with Thomas have absolutely no idea how great Thomas was, and how durable he was until the very end of his career. 

Before the beatdown in the Valley of the Sun, Charles Barkley said that it is not fair to expect 37 year old Paul to be dominant, and that it is time for Booker and Ayton to step up. I agree with the second part of what Barkley said, but regarding the first part I don't understand how Paul can be touted as an MVP candidate for a good part of this season but then be given an age-based excuse for disappearing in the last five games of this series; that reminds me of how every tournament that Roger Federer won in his 30s supposedly proved that he was the greatest tennis player of all-time, while his losses were excused away based on his age. I agree that an over the hill player's performances should not impact his legacy, but you can't deem a player great one week and then give him an age-based excuse the next week, and then deem him great the week after that: there is no such thing as being over the hill, then not over the hill, then over the hill again. Federer in his 30s was not declining as much as he was just not as good as Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic (which was also true before Federer hit his 30s, particularly regarding Nadal). 

As for Paul, his teams gagged up leads in playoff series when he was young, they did it when he was in his prime, and they have done it the past two years. This pattern has nothing to do with age; this pattern has to do with size, and how size impacts both durability and matchups. Paul can be worn down physically because he is small, he can be abused by bigger players when he plays defense, and bigger players can smother him when he plays offense.

Sunday's meltdown is yet another example of why people need to stop reciting the fairy tale about how Houston was "one healthy Chris Paul hamstring" away from winning the championship in 2018. Anyone who does not understand now that Paul always has worn down in the playoffs and always will wear down in the playoffs will never understand it. If Paul had stayed healthy, the Rockets would have either lost that series anyway, or they would have lost in the Finals, even if they took a 2-0 lead like Paul's Suns did last year. 

Why do I blast Chris Paul and James Harden but praise Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose Milwaukee Bucks lost by almost the same margin in game seven as Paul's Suns did? Let's count the reasons, first focusing on Paul and Antetokounmpo:

1) The Bucks lost game seven on the road after playing the entire series without their second best player, Khris Middleton; the Suns lost at home despite being at full strength.

2) The Bucks did not get blown out from the start, but rather were competitive for most of the game until the Celtics' superior depth and three point shooting proved to be too much; the Suns trailed 57-27 at halftime, by which point Doncic had outscored Paul 27-1. With Paul leading the way, the Suns' starters posted these first half scoring totals: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. I am not making that up. As I often say about Paul, if he is the best leader then I would hate to see what would happen with the worst leader; to me, leadership in a team sport is defined by team success, so the best leaders in the NBA in the post-Michael Jordan era are Tim Duncan (five championships) and Kobe Bryant (five championships). Steve Nash is a really nice guy, and Chris Paul is a really feisty guy, but the two players who media members most often call great leaders played a combined 35 seasons and produced one losing NBA Finals appearance (the 2-0 lead blown by Paul's Suns last year). Sorry, but that is not great leadership: that is two undersized guards who accomplished some wonderful things but were not able to beat teams led by bigger and better players.

3) Paul was a no show from start until garbage time, while Antetokounmpo had 25 points, 20 rebounds, and nine assists, a strong effort that was not enough to make up for Middleton's absence.

Regarding Harden, he fled Oklahoma City because he did not want to be the third option, he feuded with every star player with whom he has played, he whined his way out of Houston after quitting on the team, he whined his way out of Brooklyn after quitting on the team, and he has perhaps the worse elimination game track record of any player who has been so highly decorated and lavishly lauded. 

Luka Doncic right now has still not reached his peak, but as a versatile 6-6, 240 pound multi-position threat he is already better than Chris Paul ever was or ever could be. That is not a knock on Paul so much as it is a statement of basketball reality: the great 6-6 player is better than the great 6-0 player every time, and even more so in game seven. The bigger concern for Suns' fans is to figure out if Booker's disappearing act in this game is just an aberration, or a sign that Doncic is just the superior player. Booker is big enough and talented enough to be a legit MVP candidate. Paul's disappearance does not surprise me, but Booker's disappearance is more troubling. Ayton may not have Booker's upside, but he has made it clear that he wants a max deal; his game seven performance and the "internal reasons" concerning his limited minutes should also concern Suns' fans.

Labels: Chris Paul, Dallas Mavericks, Devin Booker, Jalen Brunson, Luka Doncic, Phoenix Suns, Spencer Dinwiddie

posted by David Friedman @ 2:46 AM

4 comments

Mavericks Rout Suns, Force Seventh Game in Phoenix

The Phoenix-Dallas series has become more interesting--and lasted longer--than many people (including this author) expected. After Dallas blew out Phoenix 113-86 to level the series at 3-3, Phoenix' two home wins to take a 2-0 lead seemed like ancient history. The Mavericks have won three of the last four games against a Phoenix squad that went 64-18 in the regular season, including 3-0 against the Mavericks. The odds are that Phoenix will win game seven at home, but once a series is extended to the limit anything can happen to tilt the outcome in favor of the underdog, including foul trouble, injuries, or a shooting slump by a key player. 

Speaking of ancient history and shooting slumps, it seems like a long time ago since Chris Paul shot 14-14 from the field as the Suns eliminated the Pelicans in game six of the first round. Although Paul shot very well in the first two games of the Dallas series, his last four shooting performances are 5-9, 2-4, 3-8, and 4-7. The efficiency is not bad, but the total number of made field goals in those four games matches his game six total versus New Orleans. Paul has a long history of wearing down and/or getting injured during the playoffs, and that is what seems to be happening now. It is difficult to picture Phoenix winning game seven if Paul continues to be such a reluctant shooter. While his primary role is to be a playmaker, the Suns are at their best when Paul is a credible scoring threat.

Suns' supporters touted Devin Booker as an MVP candidate based on the premise that the best player on the best team should get the award if he is playing at an All-NBA level. Booker had a subpar game six (19 points on 6-17 field goal shooting, eight turnovers) after averaging 26.8 ppg on .479 field goal shooting with just 3.0 tpg in the first five games of this series. Great regular season statistics and big regular season win totals are nice, but players establish legitimate MVP credentials by consistently performing at a high level in the playoffs.

Dallas' Luka Doncic is rarely, if ever, bashful about shooting. In game six, he scored a game-high 33 points on 11-26 field goal shooting while also leading Dallas with 11 rebounds and eight assists. Reggie Bullock (19 points), Jalen Brunson (18 points), and Spencer Dinwiddie (15 points) provided the kind of scoring support that the Mavericks will need to win game seven in Phoenix. The Mavericks beat the Jazz in the first round by playing small and making a ton of three point shots. That approach did not seem likely to work against the Suns, who have better perimeter defenders than the Jazz, but in game six the Mavericks shot 16-39 (.410) from beyond the arc. 

The Suns not only struggled to contain Doncic and his merry band of three point marksmen, but their formerly high scoring, efficient offense sputtered to a season-low point total while shooting just .397 from the field. Maybe being on their home court will cure everything that is ailing the Suns at both ends of the court, but when the visiting team has the best player it is risky to assume that the game's location will be the deciding factor; Doncic is more than capable of scoring 40-plus points and carrying the Mavericks to a road win.

Labels: Chris Paul, Dallas Mavericks, Devin Booker, Luka Doncic, Phoenix Suns

posted by David Friedman @ 1:36 AM

2 comments