20 Second Timeout

NBC's NBA "Throwback Tuesday" Hit All the Right Notes

NBC's "Throwback Tuesday"  doubleheader telecast took viewers on a sentimental journey complete with the old NBA on NBC graphics and music. I grew up with the NBA on CBS in the 1970s and 1980s, but the NBA's run on NBC from 1990-2002 was very memorable both for the quality of play and the quality of the broadcasts. During those dozen seasons, the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen Chicago Bulls bagged a pair of three-peats (1991-93, 1996-98) bracketed around the Houston Rockets' back to back championships. Then, the San Antonio Spurs ushered in the Tim Duncan era by winning the 1999 NBA title in the wake of Michael Jordan's (second) retirement and a lockout that shortened the regular season to 50 games. Phil Jackson came out of a short-lived retirement from the Chicago Bulls to coach the Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant L.A. Lakers to three straight titles (2000-02). During that era, NBC also covered the exploits of the 1992 Dream Team in the Barcelona Olympics, an epic event that inspired many of the international players who have dominated the NBA in recent seasons.

Thus, the NBA on NBC covered one of the most consequential eras in NBA history, a period that featured three three-peats, Houston's repeat, the first of Tim Duncan's five NBA titles, and the debut of NBA players performing for Team USA in the Olympics, which planted the seeds for the emergence of European stars such as Dirk Nowitzki, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic. 

Hannah Storm, Isiah Thomas, and P.J. Carlesimo hosted the "Throwback Tuesday" pregame show, fittingly called "NBA Showtime" in a nod to the NBA on NBC's original pregame show. Throughout the night, Storm, Bob Costas, and others made a point of acknowledging key members of the NBA on NBC family who have passed away or were not able to join "Throwback Tuesday" for other reasons, including Bill Walton (passed away in 2024), Steve "Snapper" Jones (passed away in 2017), Dick Enberg (passed away in 2017), Marv Albert, Ahmad Rashad, Julius Erving, and Matt Guokas. I did not hear Peter Vecsey's name mentioned; he has always been a divisive figure so perhaps his omission is not surprising--but the "Viper" was a memorable participant in the old NBA on NBC broadcasts.

The first game of the doubleheader was a dud on the scoreboard as the San Antonio Spurs routed the Philadelphia 76ers 131-91, but the telecast provided a great opportunity for Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Mike "Czar of the Telestrator" Fratello, and sideline reporter Jim Gray to reminisce not just about their shared time at NBC but their careers in general.

Costas mentioned the numerous great 76ers who started their careers in the ABA--including George McGinnis, Julius Erving, Bobby Jones, and Moses Malone--and he gave a plug to the recently released ABA-themed documentary "Soul Power." Costas began his broadcasting career as the play by play announcer for the ABA's Spirits of St. Louis, and he proudly calls himself an "ABA guy." His historical knowledge and his reverence for sports history add much value to every broadcast that he does.

Collins recalled scheming with his teammate Julius Erving to miss a free throw on purpose in a late game situation so that Erving could slam home the game-winning putback. It was very meaningful to Collins to return to Philadelphia, where his NBA playing career began and where he served as the team's coach from 2010-13.

Fratello talked about broadcasting games with play by play partner Marv Albert, who for decades was the witty, wry, and knowledgeable voice of the NBA. When Albert called a national game, his presence made it seem like a big event.

Gray recalled being a young reporter working in Philadelphia in the early 1980s when Erving was the NBA's biggest star, and Gray remembered covering a young Kobe Bryant for the NBA on NBC. It is poignant to see footage of Bryant at the start of his great career now that we know his life would end at just 41 years old in a helicopter crash that also took the lives of his 13 year old daughter Gianna and seven other people.  

As the Spurs put the game out of reach, Costas referenced Marv Albert's line about "extended garbage time," but Doug Collins gently countered by noting that Hubie Brown would get upset if NBA Draft coverage returned to air late after a commercial and missed announcing a draft pick; that moment was special for one of the 60 best players in the world, Brown would lament. Collins' point was that "garbage time" may seem insignificant, but it is important to the players who get on the court after not getting much action for most of the season. Collins also said that Hubie Brown is the "gold standard" for NBA color commentators, and Collins mentioned that he learned a lot from Brown. Brown is the best, but Collins is one of a select few who rank right behind Brown. 

While the 76ers absorbed a blowout loss--something that 76ers' fans have often suffered through during the seemingly endless "Process"--Collins noted that he was not coaching the 76ers when they started tanking 13 years ago. Fratello wisely pointed out that some teams tank and never get out of the tank--a sentiment that applies to the 76ers, who advanced to the second round in 2012 with Collins as their coach, and have not advanced past the second round since going into the tank in 2013. The 76ers have not "tanked to the top," nor has any other team; the 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder obtained franchise player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander not by tanking but by shrewdly acquiring him via a trade with the L.A. Clippers--and in that same trade, the Thunder also acquired the draft pick that became Jalen Williams, their second best player. The Thunder then tanked to obtain more draft picks, but they acquired the two centerpieces of their championship team from one trade, not from tanking.

Near the end of the game, NBC ran a graphic comparing the NBA in 1990 with the NBA in 2026: in the 1990-91 season, NBA teams averaged 106.3 ppg and 7.1 three point field goal attempts per game, while in the 2025-26 season so far NBA teams are averaging 115.3 ppg and 37.0 three point field goal attempts per game. In 1990-91, the Denver Nuggets led the league with 12.9 three point field goal attempts per game, while in 2025-26 the Sacramento Kings rank last in the league with 30.1 three point field goal attempts per game. "Stat gurus" insist that NBA teams are optimizing possessions by jacking up so many three pointers, but there is no way to prove that to be true when every single team is jacking up three pointers; when every team jacks up dozens of three pointers per game then of course the championship team will be a team that jacks up dozens of three pointers per game--but high volume three point shooting is a high variance approach to the game, so it would be fascinating to see a team like the 1986-87 Showtime Lakers face any of the recent NBA championship teams. The 1987 Lakers averaged 117.8 ppg on .516 field goal shooting while attempting just 5.5 three point field goals per game. Would the Lakers' ability to relentlessly attack the paint wear down a modern team, or would a modern team's three point bombing shoot the Lakers out of the gym? I would pick the Lakers in such a matchup, and it would be fascinating if a modern NBA team had the courage to buck the trend of high volume three point shooting in favor of efficient shooting from all areas of the court.

Prior to the second game of the doubleheader, Isiah Thomas talked about the Spurs' sound organization (a marked contrast with how the 76ers have been run in recent years, though he did not say that), and he mentioned that when he visited Gregg Popovich he noticed that there was just one picture in the office: John Havlicek. Carlesimo said that he had not known in advance that Thomas would mention this, but that it brings to mind a story from when Carlesimo worked as an assistant coach for Popovich. Carlesimo recalled that Popovich was thrilled when Havlicek presented a trophy to the Spurs, and that is when Carlesimo learned that Havlicek was Popovich's favorite player. Carlesimo knew Havlicek, and he was able to arrange for Popovich to meet Havlicek.  

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Sacramento Kings, 114-103. The game telecast did not feature throwback broadcasters, but Grant Hill and Noah Eagle ably called the game while Storm, Carlesimo, and Thomas did the halftime show and the postgame show. During the game, NBC showed some highlights of Grant Hill playing for the Detroit Pistons in the 1990s when NBC broadcast his games--and then NBC showed a picture of Eagle as a child during the 1990s, reminding us how quickly time passes!

At the end of the telecast, Storm, Carlesimo, and Thomas talked frankly--and lovingly--about how much it meant to them to be back together on air again. As Thomas said, you never know when they will all be in the same place at the same time again, so this was a moment to cherish. 

I have seen wry social media comments prior to last night's telecast making fun of the people who suggest that NBA basketball was better back in the day; such comments argue that it would be odd that basketball is the only sport where basic evolution has not happened. I won't comment about other sports in this article, but I strongly feel that the NBA game was better in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s than it is now, and after watching a retro telecast it is evident that NBA telecasts--from the studio shows to the game broadcasters to the graphics (which were clearer and more readable on the retro telecast than on modern telecasts)--were better back in the day, too. It was refreshing to watch an NBA doubleheader devoid of screaming, hot takes, and general foolishness--and it was wonderful to listen to broadcasters who know and respect the history of the game, in marked contrast to uninformed and ungrateful commentators who disrespect the players who laid the foundation for the modern NBA: J.J. Redick is making millions of dollars per year now not because he is so intrinsically special, but because Bob Cousy and the other great NBA players from the league's early years laid the foundation for what has become a multi-billion dollar business in which even average players and average coaches become millionaires. Billy Martin once said that George Steinbrenner was born on third base but thought he hit a triple, a sentiment that applies to Redick and many others who now benefit from the hard work (and superior talent) of those who came before them.

Labels: ABA, Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Hannah Storm, Isiah Thomas, Jim Gray, Julius Erving, Kobe Bryant, Marv Albert, Mike Fratello, NBC, P.J. Carlesimo, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs

posted by David Friedman @ 11:18 AM

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Doug Moe: ABA Champion, Three-Time ABA All-Star, and Successful NBA Coach

Doug Moe, who won an ABA championship and earned three ABA All-Star selections before becoming a successful NBA coach, passed away today at the age of 87. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Moe rose to prominence as a two-time All-America selection at the University of North Carolina, where he formed an enduring friendship with his teammate Larry Brown, who became a three-time ABA All-Star before having a Hall of Fame coaching career. Moe's college career ended after he received $75 to fly to a meeting with point shavers, even though he did not participate in the point shaving scheme.

Moe played basketball in the Italian League before joining Brown with the New Orleans Buccaneers in the ABA's first season, 1967-68. Moe led the Buccaneers in scoring (24.2 ppg, second in the league) and Brown led the league in assists (6.5 apg) as both players made the All-Star team. The Buccaneers finished first in the Western Division with a 48-30 record and they advanced to the ABA Finals, where they lost in seven games to the Pittsburgh Pipers, who were led by the incomparable Connie Hawkins. Moe finished second to Hawkins in the regular season MVP voting.

In the summer of 1968, the Buccaneers traded Brown and Moe to the Oakland Oaks for Ronald Franz, Steve Jones, and Barry Leibowitz. Moe ranked third on the Oaks in scoring (19.0 ppg) during the regular season, trailing league scoring champion Rick Barry (who averaged 34.0 ppg but only played in 35 games) and Warren Jabali (21.5 ppg). Brown led the league in assists again (7.1 apg), and Barry, Moe, and Brown all made the All-Star team while Jabali won the Rookie of the Year award. Jabali won the Playoff MVP as the Oaks routed the Indiana Pacers 4-1 in the ABA Finals. Moe ranked third on the team in playoff scoring (19.8 ppg).

After the 1969 season, the Oaks sent Moe to the Carolina Cougars as part of a three team trade. Moe averaged 17.3 ppg for the 42-42 Cougars, earning his third straight All-Star selection. Prior to the 1970-71 season, the Cougars shipped Moe to the Washington Capitols for Gary Bradds and Ira Harge. This reunited Moe with Brown. The Capitols moved to Virginia and became the Squires. Moe's 32 year old knees were wearing down by this point, but he still averaged 13.0 ppg in 78 games as the Squires went 55-29 to finish first in the Eastern Division before bowing 4-2 to the Kentucky Colonels in the Eastern Division Finals.

Moe finished his playing career averaging 6.8 ppg for the 1971-72 Squires, a team that featured ABA scoring champion Charlie Scott (who jumped to the NBA's Phoenix Suns before the end of the season), and rookie sensation Julius Erving, who averaged 27.3 ppg and 15.7 rpg in the regular season before supersizing those numbers to 33.3 ppg and 20.4 rpg in the playoffs.  

Brown and Moe both retired after the 1971-72 season. Brown became Carolina's head coach, and he hired Moe to be his assistant coach. Moe served under Brown for two years in Carolina, and then Moe served under Brown for two years in Denver before being hired to be San Antonio's coach after the 1976 ABA-NBA merger. Moe led the Spurs to Central Division titles in 1978 and 1979. The Spurs lost 4-3 to the Washington Bullets in the 1979 Eastern Conference Finals. The Spurs fired Moe after starting 33-33 in the 1979-80 season. 

Moe served as Donnie Walsh's assistant coach in Denver for the 1980-81 season, but then took the helm after the Nuggets started 11-20. They went 26-25 the rest of the way under Moe. Moe's Nuggets led the NBA in scoring for five straight seasons, and his 1981-82 squad still holds the NBA's single season scoring record (126.5 ppg). Moe led the Nuggets to a winning record in seven of his nine full seasons with the team, he guided them to the 1985 Western Conference Finals, and he earned NBA Coach of the Year honors in 1988 after leading the Nuggets to a 54-28 record, which at that time was the team's highest single season win total since joining the NBA. George Gervin won three of his four scoring titles while playing for Moe's Spurs, and Alex English won the 1983 scoring title while playing for Moe's Nuggets. Moe went 19-37 as Philadelphia's coach in the 1992-93 season before the team fired him. Moe rejoined the Nuggets as a coaching consultant in 2002, and he worked as an on the bench assistant coach for the Nuggets from 2005-08 under George Karl. After Moe passed away, Karl tweeted that Moe was his "big brother."

In 1997, Moe was one of 30 players selected to the ABA All-Time Team, and in 2018 he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement award, which has been presented annually since 2009 by the National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA). Moe was always quick with a quip or a soundbite, and he called everyone--including himself--a "stiff." He was a bit of a showman on the sidelines, and his teams were high scoring and fun to watch, but they also won a lot of games: Moe ranks 26th in NBA history with 632 regular season coaching wins.

Anyone who was associated with the ABA in any capacity joined a fraternity that transcends anything else that the person did during his life, and that feeling was palpable when I covered the ABA Ol' School Reunion in Denver in 2005. The ABA not only had all-time great players who are household names--including Erving, Gervin, and Moses Malone--but it also had some great players whose names and accomplishments are not brought up as much as they should be. One such great player is James Silas. Moe shared with me his memories of coaching against prime James Silas and then coaching Silas after Silas injured his knee: "My recollections of when he was really great are from before he got hurt, when he was playing against us. He was absolutely the best—the ultimate guy at the end of the game. He was just terrific. Unfortunately, he hurt his knee and was never quite the same—still a great player, but there is no telling how great he would have been had he not gotten hurt. People really didn't get to know the real Silas in the NBA. That is a shame. He really was 'Captain Late' and he was the best."

Doug Moe was one of the original ABA players, and he is eternally a part of that fraternity and that legacy.

Labels: ABA, Alex English, Connie Hawkins, Denver Nuggets, Doug Moe, George Gervin, Julius Erving, Larry Brown, NBA, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs

posted by David Friedman @ 11:38 PM

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2025-26 Eastern Conference Preview

Injuries and salary cap considerations will turn the Eastern Conference standings upside down. The Indiana Pacers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025, and they pushed the dominant Oklahoma City Thunder to game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals before Tyrese Haliburton ruptured his right Achilles tendon. The Thunder outlasted the Pacers in game seven, and the Pacers will have to survive the 2025-26 season without Haliburton. The Pacers also lost starting center Myles Turner, who signed with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA championship, advanced to the 2022 NBA Finals before losing to the Golden State Warriors, and reached the Eastern Conference Finals six times in an eight year span (2017-18, 2020, 2022-24), but they are now facing a "gap year" after losing Jayson Tatum to a right Achilles tendon rupture in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. With Tatum out of action, the Celtics decided to cut costs, trading Jrue Holiday to Portland for Anfernee Simons, and shipping Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta in a three team deal that brought Georges Niang and a 2025 second round pick to Boston. The Celtics also did not re-sign backup center Luke Cornet, and did not retain the services of free agent Al Horford, who was their starting center for the better part of the past four seasons before signing with Golden State just prior to the start of the 2025-26 season.

With Indiana and Boston out of the championship contention picture, the path is wide open for the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers to battle for Eastern Conference supremacy, while the young Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic look to build on the potential that they demonstrated last season, and the retooled Milwaukee Bucks seek to vault back to contender status after falling short since winning the 2021 NBA title. 

Despite reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, the New York Knicks fired Coach Tom Thibodeau and replaced him with two-time NBA Coach of the Year (2009 with Cleveland, 2023 with Sacramento) Mike Brown. Brown's .599 regular season career winning percentage ranks 10th all-time among coaches with at least 400 regular season wins, and his .556 playoff career winning percentage ranks 15th all-time among coaches with at least 40 playoff wins. Thibodeau's career winning percentages are .579 and .466 respectively. Neither Brown nor Thibodeau has won a championship as a head coach, and both have won at least one championship as an assistant coach (four for Brown, one for Thibodeau). Last season, the Knicks ranked ninth in points allowed but just 25th in defensive field goal percentage; in 2023-24, the Knicks ranked second in points allowed and 15th in defensive field goal percentage. A major challenge for Brown will be to build a strong defense despite having two poor defenders--Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns--playing major minutes as the focal points of an offense that ranked fifth in field goal percentage and ninth in scoring last season.

Cleveland finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference (64-18, the second best mark in franchise history) before losing in the second round for the second year in a row. The Cavaliers have established that they can win a lot of regular season games, but they have not proven that they can sustain a lengthy playoff run. 

Listed below are the eight teams that I expect to qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs, ranked based on their likelihood of advancing to the NBA Finals:

1) New York Knicks: The Knicks fired Coach Tom Thibodeau even though he led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 while taking the Knicks to three straight playoff appearances for the first time since 2011-13. On the surface, it looks odd to get rid of a coach who has been so successful, but there are historical precedents for teams doing well after replacing winning coaches: Paul Westhead led the L.A. Lakers to the 1980 NBA title, but the Lakers replaced him with Pat Riley in 1981, and Riley coached the Lakers to four NBA titles (1982, 1985, 1987-88); Doug Collins led the Chicago Bulls to three straight playoff berths--culminating in reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 1989--but the Bulls replaced him with Phil Jackson prior to the 1989-90 season, and Jackson coached the Bulls to six NBA titles (1991-93, 1996-98). 

There are some obvious differences between the 1980s Lakers/1990s Bulls and the current New York Knicks, with the foremost difference being that the Lakers had two Pantheon members (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson) and the Bulls had one Pantheon member (Michael Jordan) plus a player who should be ranked no lower than 25th all-time (Scottie Pippen), while the Knicks do not have any players who are even close to Pantheon level. 

The Knicks' best player, Jalen Brunson, is a 6-2 point guard with a shoot-first mentality; although he averaged a career-high 7.3 apg (eighth in the league) last season, his primary skill is scoring, and he has averaged at least 24.0 ppg in each of the last three seasons, peaking at 28.7 ppg in 2023-24 and scoring 26.0 ppg (eighth in the league) last season. The Knicks' second best player, Karl-Anthony Towns, has averaged at least 20 ppg in each of the last nine seasons, including 24.4 ppg (12th in the league) last season. Towns ranked second in the NBA with a career-high 12.8 rpg last season, but his poor defense and propensity to commit silly fouls are significant liabilities, particularly in the playoffs.

The Indiana Pacers eliminated the Knicks from the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, but the depleted Pacers do not figure to be a playoff threat--or even a playoff team--this season. The Boston Celtics have been an Eastern Conference Finals staple since 2017, but they will take a step (or several steps) back this season. I don't favor the Cleveland Cavaliers in a best of seven playoff series versus an elite team. Therefore, by process of elimination, the Knicks look like the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. 

It was not fair to fire Thibodeau, who did a great job with the Knicks, but Brown is also an excellent coach, and the Knicks seem to be in perfect position to benefit from the general weakening of the Eastern Conference.

2) Cleveland Cavaliers: In his first season as Cleveland's coach, Kenny Atkinson won the Coach of the Year award after leading the Cavaliers to a 64-18 record--but some of the shine from that success was dulled by losing in the second round for the second consecutive season. The Cavaliers have the necessary pieces to make a championship run, including an All-NBA First Team guard (Donovan Mitchell), the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year (Evan Mobley), an All-Star point guard (Darius Garland), and a center who scores efficiently in the paint while also rebounding well (Jarrett Allen). 

However, the playoff whole has not yet equaled the sum of the parts. The Knicks bullied the Cavaliers in the 2023 playoffs, the Celtics cruised past the Cavaliers 4-1 in the 2024 playoffs, and the Pacers shredded the Cavaliers' vaunted defense en route to a 4-1 win in the 2025 playoffs. The Cavaliers' playoff failures have been caused by lack of physicality and lack of game plan discipline, particularly on defense. Injuries have played a role, too, particularly last year, but most championship teams overcome some injury-related adversity.

The Cavaliers lost bench sparkplug Ty Jerome to the Memphis Grizzlies, and their only other significant roster move was trading Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls for the oft-injured but very talented Lonzo Ball. Ball has never played more than 63 games in a season, and he has played in just 33 games since the 2021-22 season, but if he can stay healthy he can provide playmaking and tenacious defense.

The Eastern Conference should be wide open, but--as noted above--I don't trust the Cavaliers versus the Knicks in a best of seven series.

3) Orlando Magic: Injuries sidetracked the Magic's ascent last season, but with their key players healthy and some new players--most notably Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones--in the fold, the Magic expect to be one of the Eastern Conference's top teams. 

The Magic have a star or potential star in the paint, on the wing, and at guard. Power forward Paolo Banchero set career highs in scoring (25.9 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 rpg) but injuries limited him to 46 games. He is on a trajectory to be an All-NBA player, and he has already shown--albeit in a small sample size of just 12 playoff games--the ability to elevate his game in the postseason, with career playoff averages of 28.0 ppg and 8.5 rpg. Small forward Franz Wagner also set career highs in scoring (24.2 ppg) and rebounding (5.7 rpg), but he played in just 60 games after playing at least 72 games in each of his first three seasons. Guard Jalen Suggs ranked third on the team in scoring (16.2 ppg) before a knee injury ended his season after 35 games.  

The slow-paced Magic ranked 28th in points scored, 27th in field goal percentage, first in points allowed, and 17th in defensive field goal percentage. Improved health should help at both ends of the court, but three point shooting remains a major concern until proven otherwise; the Magic ranked 30th (last) in the NBA in both three point field goals made and three point field goal percentage. Bane should boost the Magic's rankings in both categories, as his career three point field goal percentage (.410) ranks 24th in ABA/NBA history, barely behind renowned "Splash Brother" Klay Thompson, and ahead of many noted long-range marksmen, including Dale Ellis, Mark Price, Ray Allen, and Glen Rice.

4) Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the NBA's elite players. Last season, the two-time regular season MVP (2019, 2020) and 2021 NBA Finals MVP finished third in regular season MVP voting after ranking second in the league in scoring (30.4 ppg), sixth in rebounding (11.9 rpg), and 13th in assists (6.5 apg, just a fraction short of the career high he set in 2023-24). He made the All-NBA First Team for the seventh straight year, and he finished in the top nine (eighth) in Defensive Player of the Year voting for the seventh straight year. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year has not made the All-Defensive Team since 2022, but he is still impactful at that end of the court. His only skill set weaknesses are free throw shooting (.617 last season, .693 for his career) and three point shooting (.222 last season, .284 for his career).

The Bucks added Myles Turner--fresh off of Indiana's run to the NBA Finals and back to back appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals--plus Cole Anthony and Gary Harris. To sign Turner, the Bucks stretched and waived Damian Lillard, who likely will not play this season after suffering a left Achilles tear. The Bucks also parted ways with Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton. Lopez was a key member of Milwaukee's 2021 championship team, but he is 37 years old, so the 29 year old Turner is an upgrade in terms of both productivity and age. Anthony set career highs in scoring (16.3 ppg) and assists (5.7 apg) with Orlando in 2021-22, so he is capable of being the starting point guard; he averaged 9.4 ppg and 2.9 apg last season with Orlando, starting 22 of 67 games. Overall, the Bucks gained a lot more than they lost with these roster moves.

In his first full season as Milwaukee's coach, Doc Rivers posted a 48-34 record, the 14th time he led a team to at least 48 wins. His coaching resume includes one NBA title (Boston, 2008) and two Eastern Conference championships (Boston, 2008 and 2010), but also three blown 3-1 playoff series leads (Orlando Magic versus Detroit Pistons in 2003, L.A. Clippers versus Houston Rockets in 2015, and L.A. Clippers versus Denver Nuggets in 2020). To be fair, Rivers' teams were underdogs in two of those series (2003, 2015); also, Rivers coached Chris Paul in one of those series (2015), and Paul is one of the NBA's all-time playoff chokers, having "led" his teams to defeat a record five times after taking 2-0 series leads while also posting a 3-5 record in game sevens. More often than not, Rivers has maximized the potential of the teams that he coached.

Kyle Kuzma, who the Bucks acquired in a four team midseason trade that involved sending Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards, averaged 14.5 ppg in 29 games with Milwaukee, ranking third on the team behind Antetlkounmpo and Lillard. Kuzma was a member of the L.A. Lakers' 2020 championship team, and the Bucks need for him to be a consistent scoring threat while also providing solid rebounding. 

Bobby Portis missed 25 games last season due to an NBA suspension for using a banned substance. He is a physically imposing player who provides defense, rebounding, three point shooting, and timely scoring. Portis finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2023 and 2024. 

Getting rid of Lillard--who would not have been able to play this season anyway--is addition by subtraction, particularly defensively. Turner provides athleticism and defense. I think that the Bucks will be better than most analysts are predicting.

5) Detroit Pistons: The Pistons hired J.B. Bickerstaff after their division rival Cavaliers fired him, and Bickerstaff finished second in Coach of the Year balloting as the Pistons improved from 14-68 to 44-38. Most of the team's sudden growth happened on defense, as the Pistons vaulted from 24th in defensive field goal percentage and 26th in points allowed to ninth and 14th respectively.

Cade Cunningham is an emerging star after averaging a career-high 26.1 ppg (seventh in the league) last season while also setting career highs in assists (9.1 apg, fourth in the league), field goal percentage (.469), and three point field goal percentage (.356). He earned his first All-Star selection and his first All-NBA Team selection (Third Team) while finishing seventh in MVP voting. Cunningham averaged 25.0 ppg, 8.7 apg, and 8.3 rpg in the Pistons' 4-2 first round loss to the New York Knicks.

Despite their successful season, the Pistons made several changes to their rotation, acquiring Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson, and Javonte Green while losing Tim Hardaway Jr., Dennis Schroder, and Malik Beasley. As a result of those moves, the Pistons have less talent and depth.

Beasley played in all 82 games, finished third on the team in scoring (16.3 ppg), led the team in three point field goal percentage (.416), led the team in three point field goals made (319, second in the league), and finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting. Schroder ranked second on the team in assists (5.3 apg), but he shot just .378 from the field. Hardaway averaged 11.0 ppg and ranked second on the team in three point field goals made (168). 

LeVert averaged a career-high 20.2 ppg in 2020-21, but he has averaged 14.0 ppg or less in each of the past three seasons. Robinson is a career .397 three point shooter, but he provides little else beyond perimeter shooting and he is a defensive liability. Green has now been with five teams in seven seasons, and his career scoring average is 5.3 ppg.

Despite the personnel losses, there are two reasons that the Pistons should be better this season than they were last season: (1) their young players will continue to improve, and (2) the Eastern Conference is much weaker than it was last season.

6) Atlanta Hawks: I do not rank the Hawks as highly as some commentators, because I am skeptical that any team that relies heavily on Trae Young can consistently win a lot of regular season games or go far in the playoffs; the Hawks have reached the playoffs three times in Young's seven season career, and they have advanced past the first round once. The Hawks will be depending heavily on offseason acquisitions Kristaps Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to fortify a leaky defense that ranked 27th in points allowed and 28th in defensive field goal percentage--but Porzingis has played in at least 65 games in a season just once since 2017, and even though Alexander-Walker is a good defensive player he is not good enough to transform a team's entire defensive identity.

That being said, the Hawks have not only upgraded their overall talent but they have improved their defense, so it is conceivable that in a weakened Eastern Conference this team could finish in the top four--but even if that happens, I would be surprised if the Hawks advance past the second round.

7) Philadelphia 76ers: The 76ers are a difficult team to rank; if their "Big Three" players each play at least 70 games then the 76ers should finish in the top four in the Eastern Conference's regular season standings--but Joel Embiid's career-high is 68 games (he played in 19 games last season and 39 games two seasons ago), Paul George has played in at least 70 games just once in the past six seasons, and Tyrese Maxey played in just 52 games last season and has played in at least 70 games just twice in his five season career. The 76ers have never advanced past the second round since they began "tanking to the top," and it is unlikely that they will advance past the second round this season, regardless of how they perform during the regular season--but in a decimated Eastern Conference they will probably scrape together enough regular season wins to reach the Play-In Tournament and then slip into the playoffs.

8) Miami Heat: The Heat have reached the playoffs for six straight seasons, and during that time they advanced to the NBA Finals twice (2020, 2023). A good case could be made that Erik Spoelstra is the NBA's best coach, and he is a major reason that the Heat consistently play well regardless of injuries, roster turnover, and other challenges.

The Heat suffered a 10 game losing streak soon after trading the disgruntled Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors last season, but then they rallied to win six games in a row en route to winning eight of their last 12 games to qualify for the Play-In Tournament. They then won two Play-In Tournament games to earn a first round matchup with the number one seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, who promptly obliterated the overmatched Heat, 4-0. That series demonstrated that there are limits to how far a team can advance just with great coaching. 

The Heat have a solid core group of players who have made the All-Star team at least once--Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Andrew Wiggins--but they lack a bona fide MVP-level superstar, and the reality in the NBA is that few teams win a championship without that kind of player. Herro had offseason foot surgery, and is expected to miss the first few weeks of the season, which means that the Heat may start slowly and have to rally to qualify for the Play-In Tournament, but they have enough talent and toughness to do that.

The Heat will play tenacious defense and they will try to cobble together a decent offense, but they are unlikely to advance past the first round. 

The teams that finish seventh through 10th in the regular season standings will participate in the Play-In Tournament. The above eight teams are the teams that I predict will qualify for the playoffs, regardless of what the final regular season standings are. 

During the Boston Celtics' 2024 championship run, Jaylen Brown won the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP and the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP. It will be interesting to watch Brown try to carry the Celtics sans Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford; my prediction is that Boston's defense is going to take a major step backwards after ranking second in points allowed and second in defensive field goal percentage, and I expect that Boston's three point-centric offense is going to struggle without Tatum drawing extra attention from opposing defenses. Anfernee Simons may set career-highs in scoring and three point field goals made, but he will give up at least as much on defense as he provides on offense.

Josh Giddey averaged 21.2 ppg, 10.7 rpg, and 9.3 apg in 19 games after the All-Star break, but for the Chicago Bulls to advance past the Play-In Tournament and earn a playoff berth--which the Bulls have done just once since 2018--they will not only need sustained high level performance from Giddey but a much stronger collective performance defensively.

Losing Tyrese Haliburton to injury and Myles Turner to free agency are crippling blows for the Indiana Pacers; if they can fight their way to the 10th seed and get Haliburton back in time for the Play-In Tournament then maybe they can grab the eighth seed, but the most likely scenario is that this team will win less than 35 games. 

A healthy season from Brandon Ingram--which is far from certain, considering that he has not played more than 65 games in a season since his rookie campaign (2016-17)--could lift the Raptors into the Play-In Tournament, but the most likely outcome is another trip to the Draft Lottery.

The Brooklyn Nets added Michael Porter Jr., who was an injury prone scorer for the Denver Nuggets and who played an important role for Denver's 2023 championship team. The Nets appear to be trying to tank without overtly tanking. Porter Jr. will likely average over 20 ppg and provide some entertainment/excitement, but a team with him as the number one option is unlikely to make the playoffs, even in the relatively weak Eastern Conference.

Brandon Miller is a promising young player who has displayed All-Star potential, and the Charlotte Hornets improved defensively last season, but the roster still lacks enough overall talent and depth to contend for a playoff berth. 

I will say the same thing about the Washington Wizards that I said in my 2024-25 Eastern Conference Preview: the Wizards "have not been relevant since Russell Westbrook carried the team that should be known as the "Wheeze-hards" to the 2021 playoffs."

**********
Note:

I correctly picked seven of the eight 2025 Eastern Conference playoff teams. Here are my statistics for previous seasons:

2024: 7/8
2023: 7/8
2022: 6/8
2021: 6/8
2020: 7/8
2019: 6/8
2018: 6/8
2017: 5/8
2016: 5/8
2015: 5/8
2014: 6/8
2013: 7/8
2012: 8/8
2011: 5/8
2010: 6/8
2009: 6/8
2008: 5/8
2007: 7/8
2006: 6/8

2006-2025 Total: 124/160 (.775)

Labels: Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers

posted by David Friedman @ 11:41 AM

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Larry Jones' Forgotten Streak of 30 Point Games

Larry Jones, who passed away on August 16, 2025 just over a month before his 83rd birthday, earned four straight ABA All-Star selections (1968-71), made the All-ABA First Team three times (1968-70), and twice finished in the top five in ABA regular season MVP voting (fourth in 1968, third in 1969). He averaged a career-high 28.4 ppg in 1968-69, ranking third in the league in scoring behind Hall of Famers Rick Barry (34.0 ppg) and Connie Hawkins (30.2 ppg).  

Jones' professional career began in the Eastern Basketball League in 1964 before he averaged 5.7 ppg in 23 games for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 1964-65 season. He then spent two seasons in the Eastern Basketball League before signing with the Denver Rockets in the ABA's inaugural season. Jones turned down an offer from the L.A. Lakers before joining the Rockets. Jones averaged 22.9 ppg for the Rockets in 1967-68, and the Rockets went 45-33 in the regular season before losing 3-2 to the New Orleans Buccaneers in the playoffs.

In an interview with the Be a Baller podcast, Jones talked about his streak of 23 straight games scoring at least 30 points during the 1968-69 season. I pride myself on my knowledge of basketball history and I know a lot about Jones' career, but I had no idea that he had put together such a streak. It appears that Connie Hawkins posted the second longest such streak in ABA history (16 games in the 1968-69 season), and I know of only two longer streaks in NBA history (there are various lists of 30 point game streaks online, but many of the lists have information that does not match up with the game log data at BasketballReference.com): Wilt Chamberlain (of course) scored at least 30 points in 65 straight games en route to averaging a record 50.4 ppg in the 1961-62 season, and James Harden flopped and flailed his way to at least 30 points in 32 straight games in the 2018-19 season. 

Harden's presence on the list is yet another example of how the NBA's emphasis on helping offensive players/hindering defensive players has skewed the record book. Harden repeatedly committed blatant traveling offenses, including traveling during his signature step back move into a three point shot--making a mockery of the legitimate and beautiful step back moves utilized by players such as Adrian Dantley, Larry Bird, and Dell Curry. 

The only good thing about Harden's fraudulent streak is that it brought some attention to Jones' streak. Jones mentioned during the podcast interview that he received some phone calls from media members asking his thoughts about Harden approaching and then surpassing his streak. Jones indicated that he did not think much about Harden's streak--but that on reflection he realized the magnitude of what he accomplished during his own streak as a young ABA player. 

During his 23 game streak of 30 point games, Jones averaged 35.6 ppg. The Rockets went 13-10 in those games--they finished the season with a 44-34 record--and Jones also averaged 6.4 rpg, 1.3 apg, and just .7 tpg during those 23 games. He was an excellent rebounder for a 6-2 guard, and he was much more of a scorer than a playmaker, but in 1969-70 he ranked fourth in the ABA in assists with a career-high 5.7 apg.

Jones averaged 24.9 ppg in 1969-70 (sixth in the ABA) and 24.3 ppg in 1970-71 (seventh in the ABA) before being slowed by injuries. Jones bounced around the ABA to the Floridians, Utah Stars, and Dallas Chaparrals before finishing his pro career averaging 10.0 ppg in 72 games (including 60 starts) for the 1974-75 Philadelphia 76ers.

Jones was from Columbus, Ohio, and he enjoyed a successful college career at the University of Toledo,  averaging 20.9 ppg and 9.0 rpg in 63 games. After Jones retired as a professional player, he spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons and he was the head coach of the Las Vegas Dealers in the Western Basketball Association in 1978-79 before that league folded. He also worked as director of player personnel for the Women's Professional Basketball League, and he later coached the Columbus Minks in the Women's American Basketball Association. Jones earned a master's degree in education from Ohio State, and he worked in Columbus as a substitute teacher while also running youth basketball camps.

Labels: ABA, Connie Hawkins, Dallas Chaparrals, Denver Rockets, Floridians, James Harden, Larry Jones, Philadelphia 76ers, Toledo, Utah Stars, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 10:42 PM

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Junior Bridgeman Lived a Model Life on and Off the Court

Only a select few people make it to the NBA, let alone have a career lasting 12 seasons--but Junior Bridgeman's second act after he retired from the NBA was even more impressive than his playing career. Bridgeman, who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly yesterday at the age of 71, built a business empire that vaulted his net worth to an estimated $1.4 billion, making him one of the five wealthiest retired athletes in the world. Bridgeman's diverse portfolio included hundreds of Wendy's and Chili's restaurants before he sold them in 2016, plus investments in Coca-Cola bottling, magazine publishing (he recently bought Ebony and Jet), and a 10% ownership stake in the Milwaukee Bucks.

Ulysses Lee "Junior" Bridgeman grew up in East Chicago, Indiana, and he led Washington High School to the 1971 Indiana state high school championship with a 29-0 record. He then starred at the University of Louisville, earning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors in 1974 and 1975. During his senior season, Bridgeman led the Cardinals to the Final Four, where they lost in the national semifinals to eventual champion UCLA, 75-74. 

The L.A. Lakers selected Bridgeman with the eighth overall pick in the 1975 NBA Draft, but before the season began the Lakers sent Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith, and Brian Winters to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley. Trading an all-time great like Abdul-Jabbar rarely works out well, but the Bucks went 38-44 in the first season after shipping out Abdul-Jabbar, matching their record in Abdul-Jabbar's final season with the team. Bridgeman averaged 8.6 ppg as a rookie.

Bridgeman ranked third on the team in scoring (14.4 ppg) in his second season, but the Bucks' record slipped to 30-52. Don Nelson replaced Larry Costello as Milwaukee's coach after the team started out 3-15, and the Bucks went 27-37 down the stretch, setting the stage for a string of winning seasons to follow.

The 1977-78 Bucks went 44-38. Bridgeman played in all 82 games and averaged 15.5 ppg. In his first five seasons, Bridgeman played in 81, 82, 82, 82, and 81 games. No load management back then; it was expected that players would play in as many games as possible, and it was a badge of honor to play in all 82 games. 

Bridgeman came off of the bench for most of his career, and in the late 1970s/early 1980s he was one of the league's premier sixth men. The NBA did not give out the Sixth Man of the Year award until 1983-84, so prime Bridgeman missed out on potentially receiving that honor.

Bridgeman enjoyed his best season in 1979-80, averaging 17.6 ppg (second on the team) for the 49-33 Bucks, who lost 4-3 in the playoffs to the defending champion Seattle SuperSonics; the Bucks were a Western Conference team at that time, but they shifted to the Eastern Conference in 1980-81--and for the Bucks this was like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, as the 60-22 Bucks lost 4-3 in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Julius Erving-led Philadelphia 76ers, a squad that reached the NBA Finals in 1977, 1980, and 1982 before acquiring Moses Malone and winning it all in 1982-83. 

I recently watched a video of game one of the 1981 Philadelphia-Milwaukee series. The 76ers won 125-122 as Erving scored a game-high 38 points, but Bridgeman stood out for Milwaukee as he poured in a playoff career-high 32 points on 12-19 field goal shooting. In that game, Bridgeman showcased his deadly midrange jumper--a lost art in today's NBA, but a thing of beauty to watch--and he also proved that he had some bounce by dunking in traffic. 

The 76ers eliminated the Bucks from the playoffs in 1981, 1982, and 1983. The 1984 76ers were upset by the New Jersey Nets in the first round, and the Bucks reached the Eastern Conference Finals before falling in five games to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics. 

After the 1984 season, the Bucks shipped Bridgeman, Harvey Catchings, and Marques Johnson to the L.A. Clippers for Terry Cummings, Craig Hodges, and Paul Pierce. Bridgeman spent two seasons with the Clippers before they traded him to the Sacramento Kings, who then waived him. Bridgeman returned to the Bucks and played one last season with Milwaukee. 

Bridgeman scored 11,517 career points, averaged 13.6 ppg, and sported a .846 career free throw percentage that still ranks 83rd on the ABA/NBA career list. His name is also visible throughout the Bucks' record book, including a third place ranking in career games played (711).

Many retired players struggle to adjust to life out of the spotlight--and to no longer receiving big paychecks--but Bridgeman proved to be an astute student of business; even more importantly, he was very generous with his time and with his money, serving as a role model and providing a blueprint for pro athletes who far too often lose fortunes after their playing days.

Today's NBA players would do well to not only learn from how Bridgeman played--showing up for every game, accepting whatever role he was given, and contributing to team success in every way other than three point shooting--but also how he lived his life off of the court.

Condolences to Junior Bridgeman's family and friends. He will be missed but not forgotten.

Labels: Julius Erving, Junior Bridgeman, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers

posted by David Friedman @ 12:37 AM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

----------

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Further Reading:

Hubie Brown Interview (2006)

Seven Great "Hubie-isms" (2007)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

posted by David Friedman @ 4:26 AM

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Notes About the 2024 Christmas Day Quintupleheader

This is the 17th consecutive year that the NBA had a Christmas Day quintupleheader, and the 77th year that the NBA played games on Christmas Day, a tradition that began during the league's second season. The 2024 Christmas Day quintupleheader featured the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics, the reigning Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks, the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets, the 2022 NBA champion Golden State Warriors, and the 2020 NBA champion L.A. Lakers (granted, the latter three teams have significantly different rosters now than they did when they won their respective championships).

Game One: New York Knicks 117, San Antonio Spurs 114

1) The Knicks started this season 4-5, but they went 15-5 in their next 20 games to vault up to third in the Eastern Conference standings behind Cleveland and Boston. The Knicks have a very efficient offense paced by Karl-Anthony Towns (24.7 ppg with .537/.456/.841 shooting splits) and Jalen Brunson (24.6 ppg with .488/.434/.814 shooting splits). Their defense was shaky during the first nine games, but improved in the next 20 games. 

After posting back to back 22-60 seasons, the Spurs entered this game with a respectable 15-14 record. Victor Wembanyama, the 2024 Rookie of the Year, is averaging 24.8 ppg and leading the league with 4.0 bpg after leading the league last season with 3.6 bpg.

2) On November 8, 2023, the Knicks dominated the Spurs 126-105 the first time that Wembanyama faced the Knicks in Madison Square Garden, and Wembanyama had just 14 points on 4-14 field goal shooting. Wembanyama's second visit to Madison Square Garden went much better individually as he scored a game-high 42 points on 16-31 field goal shooting while also ripping down a game-high 18 rebounds, but his heroics were not enough to deliver a win. Wembanyama had a game-high four blocked shots and he dished for four assists while accumulating a +7 plus/minus number, but three of the Spurs' five starters had negative plus/minus numbers as the Knicks outscored the Spurs by 10 points in the non-Wembanyama minutes. Jeremy Sochan had 21 points and nine rebounds, but he also tallied a game-high five turnovers along with a -12 plus/minus number. 

Mikal Bridges scored a team-high 41 points, just four points short of his career high and the second most points scored by a Knick on Christmas Day, trailing only Bernard King's legendary 60 point outburst in 1984. Bridges shot 17-25 from the field in his highest scoring game with New York. Towns battled foul trouble to finish with 21 points and nine rebounds, but he posted a game-worst -13 plus/minus number (tied with the Spurs' Devin Vassell). Brunson added 20 points, a game-high nine assists (tied with the Spurs' Tre Jones), and seven rebounds, but he shot just 7-23 from the field. Josh Hart chipped in 12 points, a team-high 12 rebounds, and six assists. The Knicks outrebounded the Spurs 47-45, and outscored the Spurs in the paint 58-50.

The Knicks led 28-27 at the end of the first quarter, outrebounding the Spurs 17-12 but shooting just 11-28 (.393) from the field. The Knicks outscored the Spurs in the paint, 18-10. Wembanyama scored 10 points on 3-9 field goal shooting, but no other Spur had more than four points. Bridges (nine points), Towns (eight points), and Brunson (seven points) paced the Knicks.

The Spurs flipped the script in the second quarter, outrebounding the Knicks 16-4 and outscoring the Knicks in the paint 22-10 to take a 58-51 halftime lead. Wembanyama had 24 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two blocked shots in the first half.

The Knicks closed the third quarter with a 10-0 run--capped by a Bridges three pointer off of a slick Brunson feed--to lead 88-83 heading into the final stanza.

Jones' three point play with 7:16 remaining in the fourth quarter put the Spurs up 102-94, but Bridges scored 12 points down the stretch (and 15 fourth quarter points overall) to lift the Knicks to a hard-earned win.

3) This game is a good example of the small yet not so small differences between a playoff-hardened team that knows how to win and a team that has not yet learned how to win; like most NBA games, this contest featured runs by both teams and excellent individual performances by players from both teams, but down the stretch the Knicks executed better at both ends of the court. After Chris Paul's three pointer cut the Knicks' lead to three with 41.7 seconds remaining, the Knicks secured two offensive rebounds in the final 17 seconds, enabling them to run out the clock and deny the Spurs a chance to tie the game.

Game Two: Minnesota Timberwolves 105, Dallas Mavericks 99

1) This game is a rematch of the 2024 Western Conference Finals, a series that the Mavericks won 4-1 to advance to the NBA Finals. The Mavericks have picked up where they left off last season, and are in a tight three way battle with Houston and Memphis for the second seed in the Western Conference behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. In contrast, the Timberwolves have slipped significantly after trading Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and other considerations; contrary to the popular notion that small ball is the way to go, the aftermath of this trade is demonstrating yet again that size matters in the NBA. Towns is leading the NBA in rebounding (13.9 rpg) for the Knicks, while the Timberwolves have dropped from 15th in the league in rebounding last season to 23rd this season sans Towns.

2) The Timberwolves only led 26-24 at the end of the first quarter, but they were already up 42-35 with 6:21 remaining in the second quarter when Luka Doncic was sidelined with a left calf injury. Doncic, who scored 14 points on 5-9 field goal shooting in 16 minutes, was unable to return to action, and the Timberwolves exploited his absence to push the margin to 17 points (57-40) by halftime. Dallas players not named Doncic shot 9-34 (.265) from the field in the first half. Despite not playing in the second half, Doncic was the Mavericks' second leading scorer for the entire game.

The Timberwolves led 90-62 with just 1:23 remaining in the third quarter. ESPN commentator Jay Bilas talked about how much fun Minnesota was having. The Mavericks ended the quarter with a 6-0 run, but that just looked like window dressing. However, the Timberwolves scored just seven points in the first 8:42 of the fourth quarter, and they were clinging to a 101-99 lead after Klay Thompson drilled a three pointer at the 1:05 mark. After an Anthony Edwards turnover, Kyrie Irving missed a three pointer that would have put the Mavericks up by one, and the Timberwolves closed out the scoring with an Edwards layup followed by two Randle free throws. 

Edwards scored a team-high 26 points while also grabbing eight rebounds and passing for five assists. Randle contributed 23 points, a game-high 10 rebounds (tied with teammate Rudy Gobert and Dallas' Dereck Lively II), and a game-high eight assists.

Irving poured in a game-high 39 points on 14-27 field goal shooting, including 26 second half points on 9-14 field goal shooting. Bilas joined the chorus of media members who call Irving the greatest ballhandler ever without defining what that means or even stating who else is in the running for that subjective honor. Does it mean being fancy and flashy? If so, Irving does not hold a candle to Pete Maravich, who not only could do everything that Irving does and more but was decades ahead of his time with his showmanship. Does it mean controlling the tempo of the game at the highest level for multiple championship teams? If so, Irving does not rank ahead of Bob Cousy, Walt Frazier, Magic Johnson, and Isiah Thomas. Does it mean being highly efficient in terms of assists versus turnovers? If so, Irving (4269 assists, 1885 turnovers, 2.3 assist/turnover ratio) is far behind John Stockton (15,806 assists, 4244 turnovers, 3.7 assist/turnover ratio) both in total assists and assist/turnover ratio. The recency bias displayed even by sensible commentators like Bilas is perplexing; at least Bilas did not overtly disrespect Cousy and other past greats the way that J.J. Redick, Amin Elhassan, Zach Harper, and others have done.

3) One win against Dallas sans Doncic is not enough evidence to prove that the Timberwolves have righted their ship, particularly considering that the Timberwolves almost fumbled the game away. Regarding the Mavericks, they should be concerned not only about Doncic's health--he recently returned to action after missing two games with a left heel injury--but also about how flat they looked in the first half even before losing Doncic.

Game Three: Philadelphia 76ers 118, Boston Celtics 114

1) The Boston Celtics started 23-6 last season en route to posting a league-best 64-18 record before winning their first NBA title since 2008. This season, the Celtics started 22-7, trailing only the red hot Cleveland Cavaliers (26-4) in the Eastern Conference and the 23-5 Oklahoma City Thunder, who have the Western Conference's best record. Jayson Tatum has made the All-NBA First Team in each of the past three seasons, and this season he is posting the second highest scoring average of his career (28.8 ppg) along with career-high numbers in rebounding (9.3 rpg) and assists (5.7 apg).

Under the terms of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, Joel Embiid is already ineligible to receive any postseason awards because he will not participate in at least 65 regular season games. He entered Christmas Day averaging 20.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, and 4.1 apg in eight games; his 76ers went 3-5 in those games, and they began the day with a 12-17 record that ranked 12th in the Eastern Conference.

2) The 76ers' highly touted "Big Three" of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey played together for just the sixth time this season. Maxey scored a game-high 33 points on 12-23 field goal shooting while also passing for a game-high 12 assists, and posting a solid +7 plus/minus number. Embiid added 27 points and nine rebounds but he had a game-worst -18 plus/minus number; usually the 76ers are much better with Embiid on the court, but in this game when Embiid played they leaked oil like an old clunker. George was a non-factor with 12 points on 4-15 field goal shooting and a -16 plus/minus number, but Caleb Martin picked up the slack with 23 points on 8-11 field goal shooting, including 7-9 from three point range.

Tatum scored a team-high 32 points, grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds, and passed for four assists with a +5 plus/minus number. Jaylen Brown bounced back from a bad first half to finish with 23 points, Derrick White added 21 points, and the seemingly ageless Al Horford had 17 points. Horford had a game-high +22 plus/minus number, but he and Tatum were the only Celtics with positive plus/minus numbers; the other eight Celtics who played had plus/minus numbers ranging from -1 to -13. Plus/minus numbers in small sample sizes can be "noisy," but it is fair to say that the Celtics won many of the Embiid versus Horford minutes and lost just about every other matchup combination. Horford has had success guarding Embiid over the years, so this is not surprising.

3) Maxey scored 12 points as the 76ers built a 30-25 lead by the end of the first quarter. The 76ers led by as much as 16 during the second quarter before settling for a 66-58 halftime edge after outscoring the Celtics 36-33 in a defense-optional 12 minute stretch. 

Brown scored just two points on 1-8 field goal shooting in the first half but he took over in the third quarter with 14 points on 6-10 field goal shooting, nearly matching the 76ers by himself as the Celtics won the quarter 24-16 to tie the score at 82 heading into the final stanza.

The fourth quarter mirrored the second quarter, with the 76ers outscoring the Celtics 36-32. The 76ers led 108-94 after Martin's three pointer at the 4:29 mark, but Maxey committed three turnovers in the next two minutes as the Celtics pulled to within 108-105. The 76ers did not score a field goal in the final 4:29, but they made enough free throws to survive.

4) To win an NBA championship, a team must be consistently efficient and productive while maintaining the health of its core group of players for over 100 games during the regular season and the playoffs. The 76ers played their best game of the season versus a Boston team without the services of Jrue Holiday and without the services of Kristaps Porzingis in the second half, and they celebrated after the game as if they had just won a championship; this brings to mind the way that Doug Collins used to make note of which teams celebrated after winning a game and which teams acted like there is a lot more work to do. Collins' point was that the teams that expect to win and that understand the bigger picture are more likely to be successful than teams that get too excited about an early season victory.

To win the 2025 NBA championship, the 76ers must maintain this performance level and this health level for about 80 more games--and, based on the individual and collective resumes of their core players, there is no logical reason to expect them to come close to doing that: Embiid never advanced past the second round of the playoffs in his first eight seasons, Paul George has an 8-11 career playoff series record (including 0-3 in the Conference Finals), and Tyrese Maxey has a 3-4 career playoff series record. Maxey is young enough to develop into a consistently great playoff performer, but Embiid and George are who their resumes say they are.

Game Four: L.A. Lakers 115, Golden State Warriors 113

1) ESPN loves to hype up the Lakers and the Warriors, but entering today's action the Lakers were the seventh seeded team in the Western Conference, a half game ahead of the eighth seeded Warriors. That means that these are Play-In Tournament teams, not championship contenders. This should not surprise anyone: the Lakers have not finished higher than seventh in the regular season standings since they won the 2020 "bubble" championship, missing the playoffs once, losing in the first round twice, and making one fluky run to the Western Conference Finals; since 2020, the Warriors have finished higher than seventh just twice while winning one title (2022), missing the playoffs twice, and losing in the second round once.

Three weeks ago, I assessed the first 22 games of the J.J. Redick era, concluding that his 12-10 Lakers "have a mediocre offense and an atrocious defense. They have terrible rebounding numbers, and they often don't play hard. There is zero evidence that Redick is providing any kind of strategic advantage or that he is effective at motivating players to give maximum effort." In their next seven games, the Lakers went 4-3 and did nothing to refute the above analysis.

The Warriors started the season 10-3, and the ESPN hype machine nearly exploded, paying no attention to the reality that five of those wins were against Portland, Utah, New Orleans (twice), and Washington (the three worst teams in the Western Conference and the worst team in the league). The Warriors went 5-11 in their next 16 games, failing to score at least 100 points five times and giving up at least 108 points seven times, reaching a nadir in both directions on December 19 with a 144-93 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

2) The Lakers built a 55-52 halftime lead despite losing Anthony Davis to an ankle injury after seven scoreless minutes. The Lakers played better without Davis, who had a -7 plus/minus number during his cameo appearance, but this is small sample size theater, and not an indication that the Lakers would be better long-term without Davis, who is leading the team in scoring (26.6 ppg), rebounding (11.8 rpg), and blocked shots (2.2 bpg) this season. 

LeBron James led both teams with 19 first half points, while Stephen Curry topped the Warriors with 16 points. The Lakers outrebounded the Warriors 24-21 and committed just two turnovers while the Warriors had six turnovers. The Lakers also shot 9-9 from the free throw line while the Warriors were just 1-3 from the free throw line.

The Warriors narrowly outplayed the Lakers in a tightly contested second half, outscoring the Lakers 61-60, outrebounding the Lakers 23-17, and committing six turnovers while the Lakers committed seven turnovers, but the outcome was decided in the exciting final 22 seconds. Before dissecting the ebbs and flows of those last possessions, it should be noted that the Lakers led 104-94 with 3:27 remaining before a 13-5 Warriors run put the outcome in doubt. In other words, better execution by the Lakers could have sealed the win earlier.

The late drama began after Max Christie drained two free throws to put the Lakers up 111-107. The Warriors called a timeout, and then on the ensuing possession Stephen Curry drilled a right corner three pointer over James' outstretched arms. Austin Reaves hit two free throws to make the score 113-110, and the ESPN crew of Mike Breen, Doris Burke, and Richard Jefferson discussed the merits of intentionally fouling before the Warriors could attempt a tying three pointer. Burke noted that when Redick was a commentator he expressed his opinion that teams should always fall in this situation. The Warriors befuddled the Lakers by having multiple players cut through the paint (a distraction that a well-coached team would ignore, because a two pointer would not help a team that is down by three and has no timeouts left), and then Curry nailed a three pointer. Curry did not celebrate, because he knew that the game was tied with 6.3 seconds remaining, which meant that the Lakers had enough time to win the game in regulation. On the Lakers' last possession, Reaves drove from behind the three point line on the left wing all the way to the hoop to drop in the game-winning layup.

There is no doubt that this game had an exciting conclusion with Curry's two spectacular treys followed by Reaves' foray to the hoop, but--as noted above--the Warriors were 5-11 in their previous 16 games and the Lakers have not exactly been setting the world on fire. This game was entertaining and fun to watch, but in June 2025 we will not be looking back and saying that this was a pivotal point in determining who this season's champion will be.

James scored a team-high 31 points on 12-22 field goal shooting, and he had a game-high tying 10 assists. Reaves not only scored the game-winner, but he also had a triple double (26 points, team-high 10 rebounds, 10 assists). Rui Hachimura (18 points), Max Christie (16 points), and Dalton Knecht (13 points) were the Lakers' other double figure scorers.

Curry scored a game-high 38 points on 14-24 field goal shooting, including 8-15 from three point range. Andrew Wiggins had 21 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Even with Curry, the Warriors are not a great offensive team--and, as the last possession highlighted (losing a game on a drive to the hoop from behind the three point line is suboptimal, to put it mildly), the Warriors are not a great defensive team, either. Being not great at either end of the court adds up to being a .500 team.

3) After spending most of his career missing a lot of games due to various injuries, Davis played a career-high 76 games last season and has only missed one game this season, so it will be interesting to see how long he is sidelined by the ankle injury that he suffered in this game. Speculating about how good the Lakers might be if Davis consistently stayed healthy is pointless unless/until he consistently stays healthy. In Davis' first 12 seasons, he played at least 70 games three times, and he played less than 65 games (the current standard to be eligible for postseason awards) seven times. Davis will turn 32 before the end of this season; is he going to find the fountain of youth/health now after not discovering it during his prime?

Game Five: Phoenix Suns 110, Denver Nuggets 100

1) Nikola Jokic is posting historic numbers this season, ranking second in the league in scoring (career-high 30.9 ppg), fourth in rebounding (12.5 rpg), and third in assists (9.7 rpg) while leading the league in three point field goal percentage (.514). When he is on the court, the Nuggets often look like a championship contender, but when he is not on the court the Nuggets often look like a Draft Lottery team. That explains why Jokic is averaging a career-high 37.1 mpg. The Nuggets have overcome injuries and a thin bench to post the fifth best record in the strong Western Conference.

The Suns entered Christmas Day with a 13-5 record when Kevin Durant played, and a 1-9 record when he did not play; the Suns are a finesse team that often gets pushed around, and they are not very good without Durant.

2) ESPN's Stephanie White correctly noted that Russell Westbrook has had a positive impact on the Nuggets because of the way that he pushes the pace and because of his playmaking. It is refreshing to listen to a commentator who does not make up nonsensical excuses to bash Westbrook, who has proven throughout his career that he is a great, loyal teammate who consistently plays hard. Westbrook entered the game averaging 12.0 ppg, 6.4 apg (second on the team), 4.1 rpg, and 1.7 spg (first on the team) while playing 25.9 mpg and coming off of the bench in 20 out of his first 27 games (the 36 year old is one of just four Nuggets to not miss a game this season). 

3) Devin Booker missed his third straight game, and the Suns were also without the services of Grayson Allen (who is in concussion protocol)--but they had Durant and Bradley Beal, which proved to be more than enough. The Suns built a 58-56 halftime lead by shooting 21-41 (.512) from the field while committing just four turnovers, a high level of offensive efficiency that compensated for being outrebounded 25-18. Durant and Beal scored 14 points each in the first half.

The Suns did not shoot well in the second half (20-46, .435), but they played uncharacteristically well defensively, holding the Nuggets to 44 points on 14-33 (.424) field goal shooting. The Suns had just three turnovers while the Nuggets had nine in the second half alone and 16 in the game. The Suns led by as many as 15 points in the second half, and they did not trail in the fourth quarter.

Denver blew out Phoenix 117-90 in Denver on December 23, holding the Suns to 33-83 (.398) field goal shooting and outrebounding the Suns 46-39; it is clear that game was very much on the Suns' minds during this game.

Durant and Bradley Beal tied for game-high scoring honors (27 points). Durant had a game-high six assists (tying teammates Jusuf Nurkic and Royce O'Neale, and Denver's Jamal Murray). Tyus Jones contributed 17 points and four assists, while Nurkic had eight points, and a team-high 13 rebounds. Jokic led the Nuggets with 25 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, but he had just two assists. Michael Porter Jr. scored 22 points, and Westbrook added 17 points, six rebounds, and a team-high +3 plus/minus number (he was the only Nugget with a positive plus/minus number).

4) One of my favorite plays from this game happened at the end of the first half. Jokic grabbed a defensive rebound with less than five seconds remaining, took a few dribbles, and launched a three pointer from just inside the half court line. What is so great about that? As mentioned above, Jokic is leading the league in three point field goal percentage, but instead of trying to protect his personal statistics he took that desperation heave because if it goes in then it helps his team and if it misses no harm is done because time will run out. There are many players who either will not take that desperation heave, or who make sure to wait until just after time expires before letting it go. Shane Battier once admitted that is the only selfish kind of play that he made during his career, because field goal percentage could matter at contract time.

Analysis of Previous Christmas Day Quintupleheaders:

Notes About the 2023 Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2023)

Notes About the 2022 Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2022)

Notes About the 2021 Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2021)

Notes About the 2020 Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2020)

Notes About the 2019 Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2019)

Several Stars Shine During Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2018)

Christmas Day Quintupleheader Recap (2012)

Comments and Notes About the Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2011)

Thoughts and Observations About the Christmas Day Quintupleheader (2010)

Labels: Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, L.A. Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs

posted by David Friedman @ 1:21 AM

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