SR – Playoff Preview: The Eastern Conference Finals

SR – Playoff Preview: The Eastern Conference Finals

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by | Sep 17, 2020 | Featured, NBA

Six weeks. Seven days. That’s how long the Lake Buena Vista bubble in Orlando Florida has been inflated, and since the July 30th restart date, and while sports media personalities have bloviated and broken down all major and minor happenings both on and off the court, we’ve been blessed with some awesome basketball in this restart.

On another note, it’s fortunate that all players have been able to stay safe and COVID-19-free during the abridged resumption, and additionally, having players take such stoic stances on social justice issues with strength and steadfastness helped to move the conversation about civic justice to the forefront. This bubble has been a huge success, and it’s weird to think it’s almost all over.

Now back onto the topic of basketball: The playoffs have resembled nothing like how fans and T.V. personalities predicted prior to its beginnings.

Specifically in the East, seeing the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks who carried the league’s best record fall in the second round to the fifth-seeded Miami Heat was definitely not on a lot of peoples’ 2020 bingo card. And after that, the defending champion Toronto Raptors found themselves in a tight series against seasonal superior Boston that went the distance, as they went on to go down in seven.

Wild.

Now, game two of this physical showdown between two of the Eastern Conference’s remaining factions will take place tonight, live on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET.

Miami looks to assert themselves as the Alpha competitors after knocking off the top seed in the Eastern playoffs behind the suffocating defensive schemes put forth by head coach Erik Spoelstra, the spectacular two-way play of Jimmy Butler, and these sharpshooting wings Miami rolls out.

Conversely, Boston will have something to say about that, for their ability to match physicality with length is equally unmatched, and with the mountainous rise of Jayson Tatum’s superstar status mixed with the other two pure isolation scorers, this conference finals that is purely matchup-based will provide fireworks in more ways than just on the court.

There are some subtle storylines that have been in the making for a couple of years now, even dating back to 2012 when the LeBron James-Dwayne Wade-Chris Bosh-led Miami Heat and Kevin Garnett-Paul Pierce-Rajon Rondo-Ray Allen-led Boston Celtics went to war, but until we get to those, let’s get into the breakdowns for the final teams standing in the East.

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3. Boston Celtics (48-24, 3rd in East, Won First Round vs. PHI 4-0, Won ECSF 4-3) – We are going to have new NBA champions and new champs coming out of the East since the Boston Celtics eliminated any chance of title retention for Toronto after overcoming them in seven during the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

In the previous series, Boston started out in startling fashion, smacking the Raptors by 18 in a Game 1 blowout. Boston’s length and adeptness at scoring in the halfcourt transferred from their first-round series against Philly. Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker were unstoppable, and that narrative carried into game two with the Celtics fending off the resilient title holders, winning by seven to take a 2-0 series lead with Gordon Hayward’s starting lineup replacement in Marcus Smart nearly scoring 16 straight points in the second game’s fourth quarter.

What seemed to be a steamrolling and impending 3-0 lead turned into a momentum-altered reshuffling, with Toronto’s OG Anunoby splashing a wide-open three-ball in the opposite corner from a side-out heave with a half-second remaining on the clock. Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker would subsequently struggle in a momentum shift of a Game 3, as Toronto tied the series at 2 apiece.

Anxieties arose, and it looked as if the Box-And-1/5 Triangle And 2 zones had Boston confounded and on the ropes. Those nerves got extinguished in Game 5, as Boston put on a show similar to their Game 1 outing where they trounced Toronto again, now with the confidence heading into their first chance at eliminating the champs.

But to do that, it took four quarters, two overtimes, late-game mishaps, and a decisive Game 7 to make that happen. Tatum answered the call when both his counterparts in Walker and Brown struggled and did what superstars do: drop 29-12-7, lock up on the other end, and honor his idol, Kobe Bryant, by breaking his record of being the youngest player in postseason history to put up a stat-line of 25p-10r-5ast at the age of 22.

Boston earned the right to be in the conference finals, so now it comes down to executing in what should be an enjoyable series against a rival that’s been a thorn in Boston’s side for the past decade.

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5. Miami Heat (44-29, 5th in East, Won First Round vs. IND 4-0, Won ECSF vs. MIL 4-1) – It was rational to consider the Miami Heat to be ions away from the Conference Finals picture at the season’s beginning back in October last year, let alone them dethroning the Milwaukee Bucks and ending their historic season.

A season that, albeit ended quite abruptly, included a bevy of awards to their two stars in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, (Giannis is the likely favorite to repeat as MVP, and Khris Middleton became an All-Star for the second straight year) and head coach Mike Budenholzer (coaches poll co-winner for Coach of the Year with ex-Thunder coach Billy Donovan).

But looking at this year, it was difficult to truly visualize any other outcome than Miami moving on to the conference finals. When it comes to the playoffs, every coach and player has an idea of what offense a team will attempt to run through their best players, so for Miami, who already had Giannis’ number in the regular season, showed the collective basketball universe they weren’t to be taken lightly.  Remember when we said Bam Adebayo was the best defender against Antetokounmpo in the entire league this season?  

We weren’t kidding.

Miami proved that they had the recipe to cut the head from the snake against the reigning MVP and take him away from his game. That, promptly, took the Bucks out of the equation for the three games they won against the Bucks with Antetokounmpo on the floor. And it wasn’t just Bam sticking onto the Greek Freak like glue – Miami actively switched Jae Crowder, Jimmy Butler, and the off-the-bench Andre Iguodala onto him. In the first three games, they beat Milwaukee with Antetokounmpo on the floor.

But in Game 4, things went from bad to horrid, as their transcendent star went down, clutching his ankle he injured during the third game of the series. He didn’t return and although Khris Middleton’s heroics kept the Bucks in the Disney resort for another few nights, they would go down in five, all because of the air-tight defense played by Miami’s combination of starters and role players, and knock-down shooting from the likes of Goran Dragic, rookie Tyler Herro, and wings Jae Crowder and Kelly Olynyk.

These Heat are serious about making it back to the finals for the first time since 2014, and their identity of grit, effort, and attention to detail got them within the thick of things to win their franchise’s fourth title. Boston stands in their way and though they’ve lost the season series to Boston two games to one, these new-look Heat aren’t messing around.

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Eastern Conference Finals: No. 3 Boston Celtics vs. No. 5 Miami Heat

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) shoots against Miami Heat forward Jae Crowder (99) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Kim Klement/Pool Photo via AP)

It’s rather redundant to reiterate how matchup-enamored this duel between two elite defensive squads is, and as unexpected as this seven-game series will be, this is the first time in NBA history that the two teams in the East playing in the conference finals won’t be a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. But that’s pretty on-brand for this 2019-20 season (and 2020 altogether): nothing is as scripted or going along with the schedule.

As it goes for both teams as previously mentioned, Boston went 2-1 against the Heat this season, with Miami’s lone win against the Celtics coming in the Bubble without Jimmy Butler. There has been time to adjust and formulate a gameplan for both teams, and on Tuesday and Thursday night, the time to put away the study guides will be upon both franchises.

In Boston’s prior series against Toronto, there wasn’t any argument as to who the Celtics’ best player was in the series. Jayson Tatum’s rise to superstardom isn’t quite finished yet, but it’s really ascending rather quickly. Averaging 24.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 5 assists in the seven-game series, and his wing accomplice Jaylen Brown (20.7 ppg.) was instrumental on the defensive end in locking down Raps superstar and Most Improved Player Pascal Siakam.

Kemba Walker (17 ppg.) didn’t have the ideal series to help propel the Celtics to the ECF but was big in making clutch plays against Toronto’s switching efforts late in Games 2, 3, and 7.  As a team, Boston averaged 107.6 points per game in the past two series they’ve played – the worst offensive output of all the remaining teams inside the bubble. As a team, they shot 44.8 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from the three, which is rather an impressive feat considering the fact that Toronto was that tedious to score on as the best defensive team in the East.

They’ll hope those numbers improve at some point in this series since they’ll need all the offense they can manage to push onto the floor. Though his condition is improving, Gordon Hayward’s return is still up in the air. Averting from his averaged 17.5 points per game and his role as an extra piece to Boston’s offensive auxiliary for a second, he’s a dually-gifted wing defender that’s good at taking the three-ball away as well as limiting dribble penetration attempts from guards.

His absence hasn’t nullified Boston completely, however. Through two rounds and a whole playoff series without Hayward in the second round, Boston has allowed opponents to only score 100 points per contest, meaning they’re the best remaining defensive team in the bubble. In five of the seven games against second-seeded Toronto, they held Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, and others under 100 points.

Regardless of the positive attributes thrown Boston’s way, Miami will have a bunch to counter-argument that notion.

A lot of people who predicted the Bucks to fall to the Heat in the second round have to be patting themselves on the back right now. They were right. Star power and regality doesn’t mean anything if your best player and MVP candidate can’t find a way to individually beat his matchups and get his numbers, and conversely, a supporting cast that isn’t hitting their shots and playing that tight defense they’ve played all year as the best team in the NBA doesn’t help the cause.

Miami absolutely gave zero room or time for the Bucks to adjust, or gain a sliver of confidence in the series, with a “Gentleman’s Sweep” in the second round winning 3-1 and advancing to the Conference finals for the first time in six years. Led by their fiery leader Jimmy Butler, these blue-collar Heat aren’t in the Conference Finals by coincidence, like it’s some Cinderella Story that’s clock hasn’t struck midnight.

This team is built to win and win now. Butler looked as if he got over last year’s semifinal loss to Toronto as a member of the 76ers, and promptly stuck it to the Bucks. Putting up crazy scoring numbers of 23.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals, not backing down an inch from the grandiose of the top-seeded Bucks.

Alongside him was the spectacular two-way effort of rising star Bam Adebayo, who kept Antetokounmpo under wraps the entire series. Averaging a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds, he also contributed in sharing the rock, compiling a little over six assists per game.

High screen and roll actions that draw bigs out onto the perimeter stretch the floor and create mismatches down low, and allow Bam to pitch the ball into the mid or low post where guards will be attached to one of Miami’s taller wing shooters. They did it all in their last series against Milwaukee, and they’ll stick to their guns in this series to generate mismatches under the basket.

As for their guards, Goran Dragic will look to attack Kemba Walker in Pick and Roll sets and be the focal point of ball movement for the Miami Heat to enact their offense. Dragic has been an efficient scorer with the ball in his hands, but has been huge in not having a tunnel vision to create offense for others by cutting and setting key off-ball screens that free up shooters on the wings. He’ll be instrumental in controlling the tempo of the floor, and Boston will have to really have to work hard to get physical with him and get him out of rhythm early.

The unstoppable force that is Erik Spoelstra’s on-the-fly adjustments, Miami’s hard-nosed defensive identity, mental toughness, efficient outside shooting and acquired confidence from the likes of other pieces in Jae Crowder, Duncan Robinson, rookie Tyler Herro, Kelly Olynyk and so many more meets the immovable object that is Boston’s equally tough defense, talented wing scoring from the future superstar duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, gritty effort from Marcus Smart, volume scoring of Kemba Walker and Boston’s battle-tested attitude.

Another additional narrative that makes this duel of a series that much more intriguing: former Celtics Kelly Olynyk and Jae Crowder are looking for revenge against the teams that traded them away to help create the Boston team that they are playing against.

This is as far as the 2017 Celtics went with Crowder and Olynyk, who, alongside Isaiah Thomas, helped propel the Celtics over the then-threatening Washington Wizards in seven to advance to the Conference Finals, where they would lose in five to LeBron and Kyrie Irving’s Cavaliers. Whether the two former Boston draft picks head home or advance to their first Finals is incumbent on their role of being integral 3-and-D men in locking down former teammates in Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown, as well as Jayson Tatum, a guy they never got a chance to play with as he was drafted third overall one year later.

This series is going to be another dogfight, and surely it’ll go the distance. There isn’t much of a claim to refute that. DraftKings thinks this series will belong to the Miami Heat, since they are -162 point favorites to advance to the Conference Finals. And with the momentum they have, very few teams are as balanced and hungry as these Miami Heat. Whoever wins this series will win by simply wanting it more; that means whoever cuts harder, drives harder, locks up harder, and whoever plays with more fire will end up winning it.

And just by the eye-test alone, Miami could pass that with flying colors.

Prediction: MIA wins series 4-3, advances to NBA Finals.

Sep 17, 2020 No Comments
Kicks Through the Lens (Week 4 of Playoffs)

Kicks Through the Lens (Week 4 of Playoffs)

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by | Sep 15, 2020 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

The 2019 NBA Champions have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. The Boston Celtics escaped in Game 7 to march their way right into the Eastern Conference Finals. The Houston Rockets “small ball” strategy failed them miserably as Lebron, A.D., and the Lakers cruised into the Western Conference Finals, winning the series 4-1. Lebron once again eliminated both James Harden and Russell Westbrook from the playoffs, just as he did eight years ago in 2012. It appears as if the Los Angeles Clippers have taken the Denver Nuggets a little too lightly. The two franchises find themselves in a bout for a Game 7 that will send the victor to the Western Conference Finals.

 

LeBron James debuted another P.E. version of his 17th signature model, dressed up in Lakers purple and gold. James then eliminated the Rockets in a classic All-Star colorway of one of his best models in his line. The new Jordan XXXV’s made their first on-court appearance. Kawhi Leonard rocked his signature sneaker in the loudest color scheme seen yet. The Clippers star, and New Balance, have collaborated with Jolly Rancher to make a pack of their own. Unfortunately we have seen the last of P.J. Tucker for the 2019-20 NBA season, but he went out with a bang for his last week of kicks.

 

 

15. Adidas Harden Vol. 4 “Su Casa” – Kyle Lowry

 

     

 

 

14. Adidas D Rose 1 – Jamal Murray

 

     

 

 

13. Jordan Why Not Zer0.3 S.E. – Russell Westbrook

 

     

 

 

12. Adidas Harden Vol. 4 P.E. – James Harden

 

     

 

 

11. Jordan X “Steel” – P.J. Tucker

 

     

 

 

10. Jordan XXXIV “Taco Jay” P.E. – Jayson Tatum

 

     

 

 

9. Jordan Why Not Zer0.3 S.E. – Russell Westbrook

 

     

 

 

8. Nike Kobe 7 “Prelude” – Talen Horton-Tucker

 

     

 

 

7. Jordan XVI “Why Not?” P.E. – P.J. Tucker

 

     

 

 

6. Jordan XXXV – Jeff Green

 

                 

 

 

5. New Balance THE KAWHI “Jolly Rancher” – Kawhi Leonard

 

           

 

 

4. Nike LeBron VII “All-Star” – LeBron James

 

           

 

 

3. Nike LeBron XVII “Uptempo” P.E. – LeBron James

 

               

 

 

2. Nike Kobe 5 Protro P.E. – P.J. Tucker

 

           

 

 

1. Nike LeBron XVII “Uptempo” P.E. – LeBron James

 

               

 

 

Sep 15, 2020 No Comments
Kicks Through the Lens (Week 3 of Playoffs)

Kicks Through the Lens (Week 3 of Playoffs)

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by | Sep 7, 2020 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

Week 3 of the NBA playoffs saw some great battles that came right down to the wire. The Oklahoma City Thunder gave it all they had but fell just one game short of defeating the Houston Rockets in their first round series. Unfortunately Chris Paul’s great run of HBCU CP3.XII customs have come to an end for the season. Will the Houston Rockets have what it takes to take down the Lakers along with LeBron and A.D.? The Toronto Raptors narrowly escaped being down 0-3 in their second round matchup against the Celtics, and have since tied that series at two games apiece. Khris Middleton played hero in carrying the Milwaukee Bucks in game 4 against the Heat, escaping what would have been a sweep by Miami.

 

P.J. Tucker is just not playing fair with his kick game, and he knows it. Tucker is sporting shoes on court in colorways that most people didn’t even know existed. Whether it’s P.E. Jordans, unreleased OG Kobe models, or sample Lebrons – P.J. just outshines the competition. Rajon Rondo has been seen wearing Lebron 17’s and Kobe 1’s in this series against the Houston Rockets. Apparently Rondo’s deal with Anta expired over the summer so he (currently) has free rein to rock any brand of sneakers he chooses. Paul George even broke out an old Pacers color scheme of his Nike PG 1’s. Is the PG 1 George’s best sneaker in his line?

 

 

15. Jordan Why Not Zer0.3 P.E. – Russell Westbrook

 

     

 

 

14. Adidas Harden Vol. 4 P.E. – Kyle Lowry

 

     

 

 

13. Nike KD 13 “Easy Money Sniper” – Pascal Siakam

 

     

 

 

12. New Balance THE KAWHI P.E. – Kawhi Leonard

 

     

 

 

11. Jordan CP3.XII “Clark Atlanta University” Custom – Chris Paul

 

     

 

 

10. Jordan VI “Motorsport” – P.J. Tucker

 

           

 

 

9. Nike Kobe 1 Protro “Black Maize” – Rajon Rondo

 

     

 

 

8. Nike PG 1 “Pacers” P.E. – Paul George

 

     

 

 

7. Nike LeBron XVII “Courage” – LeBron James

 

     

 

 

6. Jordan Why Not Zer0.3 P.E. – Russell Westbrook

 

     

 

 

5. Nike Kobe 5 Protro P.E. – Khris Middleton

 

     

 

 

4. Nike LeBron VII P.E. – LeBron James

 

     

 

 

3. Jordan XXXIV “Taco Jay” P.E. – Jayson Tatum

 

                 

 

 

2. Jordan XVI “Board of Governors” (Friends & Family) – P.J. Tucker

 

                       

 

 

1. Nike Kobe 4 “Wedding” Sample – P.J. Tucker

 

                 

 

Sep 7, 2020 No Comments
SR – Playoff Preview: The Western Conference’s Final Four Teams

SR – Playoff Preview: The Western Conference’s Final Four Teams

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by | Sep 3, 2020 | Featured, NBA

Now with both series’ locked in with last nights Game 7 victory for the Houston Rockets, we proceed with the NBA Playoffs with the Semi-Finals. Having the respective Los Angeles teams advancing in strong fashions, we have both their opponents having both coming off 7 game series, leaving us with only the top 4 teams standing — Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets — so from this point on we continue the battle for the Conference Finals and so on.

And with all that being said, we rank our remaining four teams, speculating how they will fare approaching the next round.

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Western Conference Team Breakdowns

1. Los Angeles Lakers (52-19, 1st in West, Won First Round vs. POR 4-1) – After dropping the first game in a fairly shocking manner against Damian Lillard and the Portland Trailblazers, the Lakers came back strong the remainder of the series, winning the next four in convincing fashions, being the firsts to punch their ticket to the next round in the Western Conference. It seemed like the Lakers needed a bit of a wake-up call heading into the first game, considering them having a 2-4 record in the bubble all despite being the #1 seeded team. Once they received said wake-up call, we saw some stellar performances from LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading their team to the series win.

A valiant and very commendable effort from the Trailblazers, however. They managed to earn their spot to participate in the Playoffs, and make a statement among the league with solid contributions from multiple players such as Jusuf Nurkic, C.J. McCollum, Carmelo Anthony, and of course Damian Lillard.

However, the pure size and talent on the Lakers roster could not be contained so easily, with both L.A. stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis getting the job done in all facets of the game. LeBron walked away from the series averaging a triple-double, on 27.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 10.2 assists a game on an outstanding 60% shooting while Davis averaged 29.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on an equally impressive 57% shooting. Davis was able to almost do anything he wanted on the floor, whether in the catch and shoot or off the dribble, being an absolute nightmare for defending bigs.

The two were able to score and distribute to their teammates, which is something that needs to be highlighted when discussing LeBron James. James had a 54.8 assist percentage, meaning a little over half the passes he made led to a score for the Lakers. This breed of basketball is hard to stop when you have a whole team playing in rhythm within the offense. Another key component to the Lakers’ success thus far is their efficiency on the boards. Over the course of the 5-game series, the Lakers grabbed 242 total rebounds versus the Blazers’ 214, but other than that, the Lakers had a 27.3 Offensive Rebound % versus the Blazers’ 21.4. With some of the most notable bigs in years past on the Lakers roster with Dwight Howard, Anthony Davis, and Javale McGee, it comes as no surprise that they’d have a competitive edge against most other organizations regarding the rebounding category.

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2. Los Angeles Clippers (49-23, 2nd in West, Won First Round vs. DAL 4-2) – This year’s reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard had a hard fought series, but ultimately prevailed against the Dallas Mavericks alongside Paul George and crew. It’d take awhile for the Clippers to truly get the ball rolling against Luka Doncic and the Mavs, going back and forth through 4-games, ending the series in the next two after being tied up two a piece. The first four games were fairly tight, the victor only to be determined within late in the 4th or even overtime. It should also be said that the Mavericks were playing shorthanded, after losing Kristaps Porzingis 3 games in and Doncic battling an ankle injury throughout the course of the series. There is no taking away from the Clippers, however, keeping the foot on the gas and pulling out of the series to move on to the semi-finals.

A big thing when talking about the Los Angeles Clippers is the sheer amount of depth this team has, something that they accrued throughout the course of the season with additions like Reggie Jackson, Joakim Noah, and Marcus Morris, all who have made major impacts leading up to this point. This just added even more to what the Clippers organization already had heading into the year alongside Kawhi and PG, with names like Landry Shamet, Montrezl Harrell, and reigning 6th Man of the Year Lou Williams. This depth really made themselves known this series, contributing a considerable amount on both ends of the floor. This was also particularly helpful in games Paul George was having an off night.

As they progress throughout the Playoffs, we look to see if the Clippers are capable of maintaining such an offensive onslaught, walking out of the series against the Mavericks with an Offensive Rating of 122.3 versus the Mavs’ 113. Although everyone’s scouting reports for the Clippers has Kawhi Leonard and Paul George at the very top, teams also need to keep a close eye on the rest of the team, specifically Marcus Morris, who has shown to be very beneficial for the team, giving the Clippers another option on offense as well as a solid defender.

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3. Denver Nuggets (46-27, 3rd in West, Won First Round vs. UTAH 4-3) – The Nuggets had a long fought battle in the opening series of the NBA Playoffs against the Jazz, coming out victorious with Jamal Murray leading the way. The Nuggets, despite being third in their conference, to me always feel like an underdog in the Playoffs simply due to the lack of the big names like a LeBron James or a Steph Curry on their team. This in no way is discrediting the Nuggets, however, in fact quite the opposite. They’ve managed to assemble a team through drafting and development and be a legit contender thus far into the Playoffs. Of course you have the usual suspects for the Nuggets leading the way in Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, but it’s imperative to acknowledge the impact that Michael Porter Jr. and Jerami Grant have made in that first series.

Finally being able to get on the floor this year, Michael Porter Jr. has proven to the league that he belongs. Through 7 games he averaged 12 points and 7 rebounds 45% shooting. Additionally, after being traded away from the Thunder this past season, Jerami Grant has only gotten better through his young career. Grant averaged 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1 block a game. It has been great to see the development of these younger players, growing into legitimate threats on both ends of the floor. Nuggets fans can only hope that this remains consistent moving on throughout the Playoffs.

Another thing that Nuggets fans hope to prove consistent is the absolute tear Jamal Murray has been so far this Playoffs. Murray was unreal last series, averaging 31.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6.3 assists on an impressive 55% shooting. It remains to be seen whether or not Murray will keep up these kinds of numbers, but would definitely prove beneficial heading into their series against the Clippers.

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4. Houston Rockets (44-28 , 4th in West, Won First Round vs. OKC 4-3) – Similarly to the Nuggets, the Rockets came out a hard fought series winning game 7 against the Thunder. The Rockets have been on a roller coaster so far this Playoffs and we’re just now past the first round. The series against the Thunder quite literally could’ve gone either way, with the entirety of the series coming down to a single possession in the Thunders’ hands, ultimately thwarted by a clutch defensive effort by none other than James Harden. This punched their ticket as the last team to advance to the semi-finals.

We’ve discussed before that the Rockets would be taking on a new school of thought when they traded away Clint Capela, opting in for a small ball approach to the game. Although deemed successful, it was no easy feat. Additionally, the Rockets Russell Westbrook come back into the line-up after missing the first four. Although providing a solid contribution for the Rockets, it was James Harden who led the team to victory, averaging 29.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 8 assists on 47% shooting. So far we’ve learned that the “live by the three die by the three” mindset is in fact viable, but things only get more challenging from this point on.

The Rockets have been getting solid overall production on the offensive from a lot of players on the team, from Russell Westbrook. Jeff Green,Danuel House, Eric Gordon, and Robert Covington, all averaging double digit points through the series. For the Rockets, however, offense isn’t the issue. They’ll need to be even more so locked in on the defense end in hopes of progressing through the Playoffs from this point on.

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Western Conference Match Ups: Semi-Finals

 

#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #4 Houston Rockets

I’d like to describe this series as a David versus Goliath story. Not in the sense that one team has insurmountable odds pit against them, but more so the schemes of small ball versus traditional basketball. Two very different schools of thought at play. The Rockets will most likely find difficulty in the paint on both ends of the floor, while the Lakers need to focus on locking down the perimeter. The Rockets’ tallest players that they’ve been playing at the Center position thus far are Jeff Green and Robert Covington listed at 6’8″ and 6’7″, respectively. The trouble their lies for the Rockets is that for the Lakers, that is the roughly the average height of their Small Forwards, with LeBron James, Markieff Morris, and Kyle Kuzma. As previously stated it is imperative the Rockets find a way to lock down the Lakers bigs before things turn into old school bully ball with a splash of Showtime Lakers. On the other side of things, the Lakers will have to prove to be active on the perimeter defensively, limiting the three point shot and contesting those that get taken. The very thought of having to constantly run shooters off the perimeter possession after possession is draining, and with that the Lakers are going to have to remain disciplined to stick to their plans defensively. If either team can get the edge on the defensive end, it will surely open themselves up on the offensive end, something that both teams surely want to get going early in this series.

Prediction: Lakers Win Series 4-2

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#2 Los Angeles Clippers vs. #3 Denver Nuggets

I know I just used this theme for the other series, the Clippers vs. Nuggets is also a David and Goliath situation, more so in the traditional sense. Fans and critics league wide have the Clippers making a deep run in the Playoffs, and the Denver Nuggets are just the next obstacle in the way for their path to a Championship. This isn’t insinuating that the Clippers are going to win the series, however. I’d be remiss to count out Denver and the effort that they’ve put forth both this season as well as years past. The Nuggets were a household name in the Playoff Picture from 2003-2013 and have recently have found themselves returning to the Playoffs since 2018, typically seeded highly. With the momentum that the Nuggets have after their Game 7 victory against the Jazz, they’ll surely be bringing everything they have while facing the Clippers. But it will take just that to beat Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and the Clippers, everything you have. As previously discussed, on top of having two of the biggest names in the league, the sheer depth that the Clippers have will prove to be quite the challenge for the underdog Nuggets.

Prediction: Clippers Win 4-2

Sep 3, 2020 No Comments
BREAKING: Steve Nash To Become Next Brooklyn Nets Head Coach

BREAKING: Steve Nash To Become Next Brooklyn Nets Head Coach

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by | Sep 3, 2020 | Featured, NBA

In one of the more shocking recent developments, the Brooklyn Nets made Steve Nash the 23rd head coach in the Nets’ franchise history, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday morning. Nash will sign with the Nets on a four-year deal.

Nash, a Hall of Fame guard and two-time winner of the League’s Most Valuable Player award, has never had any prior head coaching experience, but brings a strong relationship with Nets star Kevin Durant, brought about during his consultant role with the Golden State Warriors.

Brooklyn is expected to keep Jacque Vaughn in a predominantly leading coaching role as one of the highest-paid assistants in the NBA, as he made a strong impression on Nets General Manager Sean Marks and Nets owner Joseph Tsai after taking over for the recently ex-coach Kenny Atkinson back in February, including the league’s restart in Orlando with the Nets’ makeshift team. Vaughn would’ve likely been the Nets choice had Nash been unconvinced of taking the job, sources confirmed.

As it goes for the Nets, Nash brings a plethora of knowledge to the coaching position as one of the greatest guards to ever play the position, and more specifically, experience to guide Kyrie Irving. Another main contributor to this signing: Nets GM Marks was a teammate of Nash’s with the Suns, and has kept a good relationship with him through the years.

Since his retirement in 2015, Nash had been in the circle of potential names to fill vacancies of different executive and coaching responsibilities. This could end up being a big-time hire if all goes well in his first season, and with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leading the charge for a new-look Nets team, Nash’s inaugural season could see the Nets eclipse 50 wins an immediate powerhouse in the East.

Photo credit: AP Photo/Elise Amendola

Sep 3, 2020 No Comments
Dort’s Historic Performance Not Enough As OKC Drops Game 7 To HOU (104-102)

Dort’s Historic Performance Not Enough As OKC Drops Game 7 To HOU (104-102)

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by | Sep 3, 2020 | Featured, NBA

 

The Thunder and Rockets put on a show tonight in Game 7. This game was as close as it could get and down to the wire just how it’s supposed to be with a 4th and 5th seed. All series long the Rockets were leaving Lugentz Dort open and challenging him to beat them. Well, tonight the undrafted rookie made the Rockets pay big time as he finished with a career-high 30 points. Tonight Dort was shooting with confidence and he was able to attack the rim when given the chance. Tonight Lugentz Dort shot 10/21 from the field but made the best of the 3 point opportunities as he shot 6/12 for 50%. He’s the youngest player since LeBron James to score that many points in a playoff game. The Thunder took a chance on Lugentz Dort and that chance proved to pay off big time. The Thunder signed Dort to a four-year deal worth $5.4 million dollars but Dort proved that you can’t put a number on heart/energy. Tonight was all about the play of Lugentz Dort and the way he stepped up in the biggest spotlight moment. Not too many people can score 30 points in a game while holding James Harden to 17 points on the night. All series long Dort was making it tough on Harden and after tonight he’s gained a lot more fans and respect around the NBA.

 

 

The Thunder had 5 players in double figures on the night and it was tough down the stretch getting good looks. OKC’s usually the clutch team down the stretch but they were only able to score 6 points in the final minutes of the game. Chris Paul finished with a triple-double of 19 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds on the night. CP3 was able to get to his spots but the ball just didn’t go in for him tonight like in previous games. Even when he’s struggling from the field Paul was able to put his team in a position to win. CP3 showed everyone that doubted him that he’s still in great shape and that he’s still as elite as ever. Chris Paul willed this team throughout the year and the last couple of plays didn’t go as OKC wanted but sometimes these moments are a great lesson. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 19 points as he was able to bounce back in this game tonight. SGA had a huge 3 pointer late in the game that put OKC up by 1 with less than a minute. SGA was aggressive tonight and attacked the paint while hitting his jumpers. All this showed was that OKC has a bright star on their hands and someone that’s not scared of the big moments. Shai came back to the NBA restart ready to go locked in but OKC just fell short this time. This was only his second season in the NBA and he put the league on notice moving forward that he’s a rising star and has so much promise.

 

 

Danilo Gallinari and Dennis Schröder played okay but if they would have added a little bit throughout the game OKC could have won. Both of them combined for 16 points on the night and weren’t playing up to the caliber they usually play at. Credit the Rockets for all the switching that they did on the defensive end. Both Gallinari and Schröder came into Game 7 averaging a combined 35 ppg so if they added a little bit more to their performance tonight things could be different. Tonight Steven Adams added 10 points and 9 rebounds as the biggest guy in this series and played very good on the rebounds all series. The Thunder had great role players and both those guys did a great job on the season and stepped up when no one even thought they could. So many people counted this OKC team out but they had 6th Man of the Year and Coach of the Year candidates. This team had a 0.2% chance to make the playoffs and they exceeded all expectations.

 

The Houston Rockets will be heading to the second round to play the LA Lakers who are well-rested waiting for them. Before they could do that the OKC Thunder gave them all they could handle in Game 7. Tonight James Harden didn’t have it going as he finished with 17 points and wasn’t able to get anything going on the offensive end. It was Harden’s defense that showed up big time as he was able to block Lugentz Dort on a 3 point attempt that sealed the game for Houston. Harden struggled but got a combined 61 points from his teammates tonight that showed up in the biggest moments(Westbrook, Covington, Gordon). Those three played lights out tonight and made some big shots down the stretch to help the Rockets get to the next round. Westbrook was able to hit on his midrange tonight and was able to attack when he wanted with smaller defenders on him. Overall the Rockets proved for this round that the small ball worked and it also could have saved Mike D’Antoni’s job as well. The Rockets will be playing the Lakers after this hard-fought series against OKC.

 

Sep 3, 2020 No Comments