Early in the week, it looked like the NBA was going to be thrown into a whirlwind of chaotic trades during the draft. But when Mason Plumlee is the bombshell trade of the night, you know things ended up a little more bland than everyone was thinking. That's because the trade that would have set everything in motion never happened. If DeMarcus Cousins had ended up a Laker, players would've started moving back and forth across the NBA. But he didn't, and we ended up with a pretty boring draft night. Still, there were some highlights:
Karl-Anthony Towns went first, like expected. I'm not sure what to make of the Kentucky product. He could end up a special talent, he could be a Tyson Chandler clone, or he could end up an athletic big running around with no position. The idea is that in today's NBA, Towns can defend against smaller lineups and space the floor. And that's great in theory. What will be interesting is seeing if he can do that in the NBA. He'll take a while to develop, but he has high upside.
The Lakers surprised everyone by taking D'Angelo Russell. Leading up to the draft, all the talk was how LA was going to take Jahlil Okafor. Then, about 48 hours prior, word leaked that Russell was going to be the pick. Is this a sign that the shift to a wing-dominated NBA is complete? I don't know a lot about Russell, but he looks explosive from what I've seen. Learning from Kobe Bryant won't hurt, either.
Philly picked another big, giving them a surplus in the front court. Jahlil Okafor will step in and average 20 and 10 without hesitation, and I believe he'll win rookie of the year. The drafting of Okafor probably means either Nerlens Noel or Joel Embiid will be traded, but I don't think Philly is in a hurry to move either. They don't know what Embiid can do since he hasn't been able to get on the floor due to injury. I can't say which they should keep, because we haven't seen Embiid against NBA talent. I do think, however, that Okafor is the start of something for the Sixers. Whatever deficiencies he has on defense, his offensive skills can make up for. A few veterans and some shooters and Philly can challenge for a playoff spot in the East.
The New York Knicks picked Kris Porzingis. And their fans weren't happy. I don't blame them. Not because Porzingis will be bad. I don't know that. I think it's a bad move because they have Carmelo Anthony as the focus of their team, and they need to win now. Best case scenario, Porzingis is playing at an all-star level in five years. By then, Anthony will be 36 years old and close to retirement. You can't win a championship like that. Problems occur at any organization, basketball or otherwise, when they don't know who they are or what they want to be. Are the Knicks planning on being contenders in the five years? Then trade the pick or Porzingis for a player who can contribute right away. Are the Knicks planning on rebuilding? Then trade Anthony for a package of young players and picks and build for the future. Phil Jackson hasn't inspired confidence, and this pick didn't make sense to me.
Emmanuel Mudiay went to the Nuggets, which means Ty Lawson is on the move. Kenneth Faried will probably go, too. Just a good time to remind everyone that Denver hasn't made the playoffs since they fired George Karl the year he won Coach of the Year.
Nine teams passed on Justise Winslow, and they'll all regret it. I'm pissed that he ended up in Miami, because I hate Miami. I hope Dwyane Wade bails on them and ends up playing the rest of his career in Sacramento for six different coaches. Anyway, Winslow is my favorite player in this draft and at worst he'll be a solid role player on a championship team one day.
Everyone is down on Frank Kaminsky, but I think they'll be surprised by him. No, I don't think he'll ever make an all-star team, but he's more athletic than people think and he's smart on the court. He'll contribute to a playoff team one day, too, but probably not for Charlotte. Because they never go on deep playoff runs.
Myles Turner in, Roy Hibbert out in Indiana. Because Roy Hibbert got body snatched. Remember when everyone thought Hibbert was a defensive genius? That's long gone. Turner didn't impress me at Texas. He rarely stood out and I think he'll have to work hard to contribute to an NBA team.
Cameron Payne referred to himself in the third person, so I don't like his game.
Sam Dekker got drafted by the Rockets and then proceeded to mow his parents' yard. So that's nice. Maybe he doesn't know how much money he just made. Everyone keeps saying he's similar to Chandler Parsons, but I don't think so.
The Celtics drafted Marcus Thornton in the second round. I'm pretty sure there are already two Marcus Thorntons in the NBA. Is this the same guy getting drafted every few years? I want to see E:60 investigate this.
The Mavericks drafted the first Indian born player in the NBA so Mark Cuban could sell a crap ton of t-shirts in India. Or for basketball reasons. Whatever.
And that, ladies and gentleman, is how you turn an eagerly anticipated draft into a boring night of role calls by Adam Silver.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Thoughts on the Finals
--Cleveland looked so much bigger than Golden State. Not height-wise, but just bigger bodies. And it mattered. The Warriors' shooting helped even out the disparity, but with the physical nature of the series it gave the Cavs an advantage.
--As usual with young players, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have to be more consistent. Some will call that inconsistency the result of being a jump-shooting team, but I think it has more to do with their youth and inexperience. If they're as talented as I think they are, that will change.
--LeBron might be a machine sent from the future to destroy basketball. Making it to the Finals five years in a row is exhausting enough, but doing it with this Cavs team is crazy. That's not a knock on the guys surrounding him. They played their hearts out and did everything they could. But the NBA has become an offensive league, and no one else on Cleveland is capable of creating their own offense. The way he put this team on his back and willed it into contention is amazing.
--Tristan Thompson showed everyone that he's going to be a grit and grind guy for the next five to seven years in this league. Championship teams need players like him to win in June.
--I'm really impressed with what Steve Kerr did with this Golden State team. He convinced an all-star to come off the bench and barely played the highest paid player on the roster. When he decided to go small in game four, Andrew Bogut read the writing on the wall and realized he probably wouldn't play much the rest of the series. All of that, and no chemistry problems. No complaining, no whining. Nothing but sterling play from a cohesive team. It's incredible he was able to get guys to buy in like that, especially in the NBA.
--Staying with Steve Kerr, I'm also impressed with his tactical prowess. Inserting Andre Iguadola into the starting lineup was a bold move, but most people thought it was a good idea. Starting Iguadola over Andrew Bogut, however, was ballsy beyond belief. He changed the shape of his 67 win team with only four games left in the season. That's not something most rookie coaches would do. So let's give Kerr the props he deserves.
--This series was a waste of LeBron James. No one was expecting a lot out of his surrounding cast, other than being professional and contributing. And for the most part, LeBron's teammates did that. They're just limited, and it showed tremendously. It was a shame to watch LeBron put up historic numbers, all for nothing. Injuries played a big part of it, and a lot of Cavaliers played above what they usually do. But still. I wish LeBron had a little more help.
--I loved Andre Iguadola winning the MVP. He did the big things, the little things, and everything in between to help the Warriors win. I loved it.
--To me, this wasn't a great Finals, but it wasn't terrible either. I enjoyed watching the Warriors do their thing, and I was fascinated by how LeBron James controlled games. It was a high-rated Finals, so people seemed to like it. Maybe we'll get the same matchup next year.
--As usual with young players, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have to be more consistent. Some will call that inconsistency the result of being a jump-shooting team, but I think it has more to do with their youth and inexperience. If they're as talented as I think they are, that will change.
--LeBron might be a machine sent from the future to destroy basketball. Making it to the Finals five years in a row is exhausting enough, but doing it with this Cavs team is crazy. That's not a knock on the guys surrounding him. They played their hearts out and did everything they could. But the NBA has become an offensive league, and no one else on Cleveland is capable of creating their own offense. The way he put this team on his back and willed it into contention is amazing.
--Tristan Thompson showed everyone that he's going to be a grit and grind guy for the next five to seven years in this league. Championship teams need players like him to win in June.
--I'm really impressed with what Steve Kerr did with this Golden State team. He convinced an all-star to come off the bench and barely played the highest paid player on the roster. When he decided to go small in game four, Andrew Bogut read the writing on the wall and realized he probably wouldn't play much the rest of the series. All of that, and no chemistry problems. No complaining, no whining. Nothing but sterling play from a cohesive team. It's incredible he was able to get guys to buy in like that, especially in the NBA.
--Staying with Steve Kerr, I'm also impressed with his tactical prowess. Inserting Andre Iguadola into the starting lineup was a bold move, but most people thought it was a good idea. Starting Iguadola over Andrew Bogut, however, was ballsy beyond belief. He changed the shape of his 67 win team with only four games left in the season. That's not something most rookie coaches would do. So let's give Kerr the props he deserves.
--This series was a waste of LeBron James. No one was expecting a lot out of his surrounding cast, other than being professional and contributing. And for the most part, LeBron's teammates did that. They're just limited, and it showed tremendously. It was a shame to watch LeBron put up historic numbers, all for nothing. Injuries played a big part of it, and a lot of Cavaliers played above what they usually do. But still. I wish LeBron had a little more help.
--I loved Andre Iguadola winning the MVP. He did the big things, the little things, and everything in between to help the Warriors win. I loved it.
--To me, this wasn't a great Finals, but it wasn't terrible either. I enjoyed watching the Warriors do their thing, and I was fascinated by how LeBron James controlled games. It was a high-rated Finals, so people seemed to like it. Maybe we'll get the same matchup next year.
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