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your-dietician · 3 years

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The Bucks’ path to the NBA Finals — The Undefeated

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The Bucks’ path to the NBA Finals — The Undefeated

There’s a well-known comment in Wisconsin when it comes to the hometown Milwaukee Bucks’ chances in a given playoff series: Bucks in six.

What started as a fool-hearted, yet enduring proclamation by then-Bucks guard Brandon Jennings ahead of a 2013 first-round series matchup with the “Big Three” Miami Heat – (“I’m sure everybody is writing us off but I see us winning the series in six,” Jennings said at that year’s Wisconsin Sports Awards) – morphed over the years into a rallying cry for a team that hasn’t made it to the NBA Finals in nearly half a century. Sometimes close, but never close enough.

But in the past eight years, starting just a few weeks after Jennings’ doomed prediction (the Heat swept the Bucks in 2013) with the drafting of a lanky kid out of Greece named Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have revamped, reconfigured, restarted and rebuilt themselves into an actual title contender that no longer lives on the fringes of the playoffs.

On Saturday night, after back-to-back years of underperforming in the postseason, the Bucks clinched the Eastern Conference title with a 118-107 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, fittingly reaching their first NBA Finals since 1974 in six games.

And it was all without Antetokounmpo, who has been sidelined with a hyperextended left knee since the third quarter of Game 4. For a team that prides itself on playing as a complete unit, rather than a Gladys Knight & the Pips-style one-man show, the Bucks leaned heavily on their two other stars, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton. The duo combined for 59 points, 13 rebounds and 16 assists, with Middleton overcoming a poor first half (five points and five turnovers) to drop 23 points in the third quarter.

“Khris carried us there for a lot of it, just leaving his heart out there,” Holiday said. “Just kind of like if we’re going to go down, we’re going to go down on his shoulders. I’m riding with him, riding right into the Finals.”

Making it easier for the Bucks on Saturday was that Young, who bruised a bone in his foot during Game 3, was clearly still hobbled. The third-year guard declined to attack the paint and had his passing lanes clogged up, leading to him starting the first quarter with nearly as many turnovers and personal fouls (three) as minutes played (four). At one point, Young shook 7-foot center Brook Lopez for an open look from atop the key but uncharacteristically passed the ball away.

“I still have pain. It’s going to be like this for at least a couple more days, so I knew I wasn’t going to be able to feel 100%,” Young said after the game. “So I was going to go out and at least try and try to do it again.”

As the game wore on, Young became less timid, but aside from another breakout game from guard Cam Reddish (21 points, 6-of-7 on 3s), the Hawks weren’t enough for Milwaukee. While the Bucks were failed by poor shooting, lack of energy and hustle in the two games they lost in this series, those were their keys to victory on Saturday. The Bucks outgained the Hawks in 3-pointers (17-12) and rebounds (46-43) and committed one less turnover, the type of complete performance that is needed out of a championship winner.

“We needed everybody. I think that’s the best part about it. We needed something from everybody,” P.J. Tucker said. “Our bench was amazing all series, all playoffs, everybody on our team gave something.

“Giannis goes out, Bobby [Portis] has been great, everybody came in and fought hard the entire series. It just shows our team. It just shows the guts of our team.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo (left) and Khris Middleton (right) celebrate as Eastern Conference champions.

David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

Before this season, this Bucks team wasn’t able to put it all together at just the right time.

As the team’s production began to rise during the 2017-18 season, when Antetokounmpo started to show flashes of the superstar he would soon become, so did their expectations. The Bucks finished the next two seasons with the best record in the league, but were dispatched from the playoffs early by two hungrier teams that went on to win the East.

They were then, fairly or not, labeled as a “regular-season” team, meaning they could be successful during the regular season, but once the playoffs hit, they didn’t have the mental toughness and/or strategy to be championship caliber.

It also didn’t help that Milwaukee ran into players who decided to go supernova during the playoffs. In 2019, Kawhi “Cyborg” Leonard, on one good leg, snatched the heart from the Bucks as the Toronto Raptors overcame a 2-0 deficit to run off four straight wins on their way to an NBA championship. Last season, inside the Walt Disney World bubble, Jimmy Butler willed the lower-seeded Miami Heat into a second-round upset of the Bucks ahead of their own run to the Finals. Even this postseason, the Bucks had to battle the offensive brilliance of Kevin Durant and Young, at least until the latter’s series-altering ankle injury in Game 3.

In the past, when the pressure reached a precipice, everyone from the coaches to players seemed to falter. Antetokounmpo and Coach Mike Budenholzer couldn’t figure out how to scale the “wall” defenses built. Middleton, while brilliant when he’s on (particularly against the Boston Celtics), would suddenly develop a case of the yips in pivotal postseason moments. Shots that would fall for role players wouldn’t fall anymore, no matter Budenholzer’s “let it fly” mantra.

“It’s adversity,” Pat Connaughton said of losing in the playoffs the past two years. “I would say it’s unfortunate, but you learn a lot from losing. You really look yourself in the mirror and there’s two ways you can go: You can hang your head about it or you can use that as motivation to get better and fix the problems that you have and continue to work every single day and understand that it’s a process.”

But this season and its playoffs were different. The Bucks were more flexible in everything from their roster construction to their offensive sets. Those who couldn’t step up in crunch time in the past were suddenly inheritors of the clutch gene.

“Every team has a different journey and every team has to go through different things,” Budenholzer said. “… I think just like every team in the league, when this group hasn’t been able to advance, hasn’t been able to continue, it’s hurt. It’s been hard. The offseason, the guys have put the work in, the players have put the work in. And I’m impressed with what they have done, really every year, but coming into this year.

“But there’s still work to be done.”

Budenholzer has been heavily criticized over the past two years for his failure to adjust in the playoffs. According to various reports, his job was on the line if the Bucks weren’t able to make tangible progress in the playoffs. But he has made the necessary changes to get his team to the Finals. And it was general manager Jon Horst who helped construct a roster that emphasized both 3-pointers (as he had in the past) but also toughness, both the physical and mental variety.

Portis, who signed to a two-year, $7.5 million deal in November, made all the difference in Game 5 (and had the Fiserv Forum crowd in a frenzy during the blowout in Game 2). Tucker, who was traded to the Bucks in March, played strong defense on Durant in the second round. Jeff Teague, who played for Atlanta for parts of eight seasons, made three 3s in Game 6. Bryn Forbes, who cooled off in the later rounds, outscored Butler in the first round. Connaughton grabbed offensive rebounds and hit timely 3s. Lopez, Donte DiVincenzo, the list goes on.

As for the Bucks’ Big Three of Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Holiday (acquired in November from the New Orleans Pelicans), each had their mental breakdowns and struggles during both the past and these playoffs, but when the team needed them to help close out games, they showed up: Middleton’s game winner against Miami in the first round, Antetokounmpo in crunch-time minutes against Brooklyn in the second round, and Holiday in the last two games without Antetokounmpo.

The team that could start strong but never finish has finally vanquished that label. And it’s poetic that it was Middleton who led the Bucks to this Finals run.

Middleton has grown from an afterthought in the 2013 trade that shipped Jennings off to Detroit and brought Middleton, Brandon Knight and Viacheslav Kravtsov to the Bucks (Middleton was referred to as one of “two other players” at the time of the trade), to the certified closer on a team that is four wins from winning its first title since 1971.

As the Bucks tanked and rebuilt around Antetokounmpo at the beginning of last decade, Middleton was there for the rough days of sub-.500 records, missed playoffs and lottery picks. Through his game winner against Miami, his dual 38-point games against Brooklyn and Atlanta, and his second-half outburst on Saturday, Middleton sums up just how far these Bucks have come.

“Honestly, it’s been a long journey, but it’s been a great journey,” Middleton said after the game. “It’s been worth it. We put ourselves in position to be in the NBA Finals. After winning 15 games in our first year here and seven years not making the playoffs to the last two years thinking we had a chance and just didn’t do enough and now we’re here.

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“This is what we’ve worked for.”

Martenzie is a writer for The Undefeated. His favorite cinematic moment is when Django said “Y’all want to see somethin?”

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whynottshirt · 3 years

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besshirtstore · 3 years

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darrencrissource · 7 years

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This is the third installment of Ryan Murphy’s acclaimed anthology, American Crime Story: Versace.

Edgar Ramirez stars as the openly gay designer, who was tragically gunned down on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion in 1997 by serial killer Andrew Cunanan, played by Darren Criss.

The limited series chronicles the bizarre murder and the manhunt for Cunanan, who targeted gay men and was responsible for five murders.

Casting Darren Criss as Cunanan

Ryan Murphy: I didn’t have to convince him at all. What I like to do is give people opportunities sometimes that they would never have. And Darren is obviously a brilliant singer and a performer and a showman and did “Glee” and has been on Broadway. When Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobson and I were first talking about this idea of doing Versace as sort of the O.J. follow-up, which was around two years ago, I immediately called Darren. Because to me he was the only one for that part. And I just said, I’m thinking about doing this, would you be interested. And he said, well yes, very much so because it’s such a great part. And I said, ok I’ll get the contracts drawn. And then it took two years because you have to write it and you have to get it green-lit. But he was always the only person I had in mind for it because I knew that he would push himself because he was so hungry to prove himself in a different way. And it’s a truly insane dramatic part. And he really wanted to go there. So he was the only person we talked to. He hadn’t heard from me and then he was getting ready to do another show and the day it was announced that Versace was up, he was, oh shit what am I going to do. But we all worked it out so he was able to get out and commit pretty much a year to it. And he was great. Brad and Nina went to see him in “Hedwig” and he knew they were in the audience so of course he came out and sat on Brad’s lap and did the whole showbiz thing.

Relationship to Versace

RM: I never met him but I know a lot of people who did meet him. I sold my first script in late 1996 so I was just starting. And he obviously was killed a year later so I never got to meet him. I knew a lot of people who were very close to him. I’ve worked with Naomi Campbell who was very close to him, who told me a lot of interesting things about him. Madonna, there’s the Madonna guest suite upstairs which is the first place I went to when we came here. She used to sit in the bathtub and stand up and tease them all out in the courtyard. I never got to meet him, but he was always somebody I was very interested in. I loved him. I felt like I had a lot in common with him, what he did and where he came from and how he really dedicated his life to beauty and style and was obsessed with a vision of things. And I related to him. I was at restaurant called Off Vine in L.A. when I first heard the news. And weirdly was also at the same restaurant when Princess Diana died. So I’ve stopped going to Off Vine after the Princess Diana announcement. I was just very moved and shattered by it. It was somebody who’s gay, who is in the gay community, of course then, half the people I knew who had had ties to Hollywood and San Diego said, I was at a bar, I met Andrew Cunanan. So there was always a very mythical thing about that guy. But it was just a real tragedy. And the reason I wanted to do this story so badly was because if you do O.J., what do you do to top O.J.? You have to do something completely different. And I wanted to do something smaller and more intimate. And, it’s a different kind of crime. When we do “American Crime” we’re not just going to do Jon Benet, we’re not going to just do something salacious. It has to be about something that has American social issues in it. And this period of time that we’re talking about, 1997, there were really two people who were out in entertainment, Elton John and Gianni Versace.

Versace as Openly Gay

RM: Versace really struggled with it. There were a lot of conversations with Donatella. Should I come out of the closet? Because my business is going public. He was terrified that by not being able to be himself he would be discriminated against and lose everything. That was also the period of don’t ask, don’t tell, which we dive into. The reason why it’s such an interesting American crime is because Gianni Versace was only killed because of homophobia. Andrew Cunanan killed and targeted people who were gay or who were in the closet. And his murders tend to out them. There was a gentleman who was in his 70’s named Lee Miglin who was one of the early victims, whose family was so upset and terrified of his personal life coming out that they just sort of said, motive unknown. And the police didn’t pursue it. And by the time Cunanan got to Miami, the police officers in town had thousands of wanted posters in the trunks of the cars that they would not put up because they would not go to gay bars. They just wouldn’t do it. So we’re delving with all this very dark period of American society that is obviously personal to me, and very upsetting.

Cunanan as Character

RM: We had the book that we optioned, “Vulgar Favors.” The thing about Cunanan was a mystery in many ways. The things that I was fascinated about is the creator-destroyer idea of Cunanan and Versace sort of were the same beginning. They came from immigrant families, they wanted to be famous, they wanted to be celebrated and one person did the work and took the risk, which was Versace, and one person didn’t, who was Cunanan. Cunanan was also a tragic story. He was lied to by his parents, specifically his father, who told them they were incredibly wealthy, almost royalty in the Philippines. And in his teenage years he discovered that his father had been lying the entire time. He was treated like a celebrity in his own family. When he was very young his parents gave him the master suite. So he sort of grew up with this kingly idea of who he was and who he could be. And then it was all taken away and he was shattered by it. And he had real psychological difficulties dealing with. There was also what we could never verify or prove, sexual abuse in his family. So he was also a very tragic figure and wanted fame and fortune so desperately that what happened with him was when he killed someone, the first victim, that probably was in a fit of pique and rage, he decided well, I’m going to go to jail, I’m going to be destroyed, so I want to be famous so I’m going to move towards that. And in taking the life of the famous person became his fame which is also a very American story that we see time and time again, that’s gotten progressively worse with social media over the years and threats and violence. When you have somebody like Cunanan, who is thought of in many circles as a monster, and the person that took away Gianni Versace from us, you also have to with the actor say, well let’s talk about his childhood. He was a real person. Something along the way made him snap. So we’ve talked a lot about that. And Darren did a lot of research on his own and showed up ready to go.

Edgard Ramirez as Versace

RM: Whenever I do something like this, or like O.J. or, I always have one person in mind that I think of, always. So, Darren was the obvious choice. I was friends with him. I knew him. And I wanted people to see something that I saw which was a great dramatic actor. In the case of Edgar, if you look at Edgar, Edgar looks exactly like Versace. When we have the prosthetic and the wig and can show you pictures it’s amazing. And Edgar has that sort of grandiose gravity as a human being that Versace had. And he was my only choice. And I met him. And I always have this thing when I give this really long, impassioned spiel, I’m going to die if you don’t do it. And at the end of the meeting I was, what do you think? And he was, well, let me think about it. I was, what? What do you mean? And then I was, ok I’m going to get you no matter what, and I did. And he met with Brad and Nina and loved them and I really pushed hard. And by the time I gave him a second script you can’t deny the power of the part. And he was, ok, I get it, I love it, I’ll do it.

Ricky Martin as Versace’s Lover

Ricky was another example of somebody that, people think of Ricky as “La Vida Loca” and a Vegas showman and he’s doing Sting. But Ricky is so soulful and intimate. And I just saw something in him. I’ve also worked with him once before. And you know the boyfriend, Antonio, was a very tragic figure because he was with Versace for 15 years and loved him and Versace was killed and he was out. He was thrown out of this palace and this life. And he had suicide attempts. And I thought, well I think Ricky could really go there and would want to do this. I met Ricky, I just called him up and said, can I talk to you? And I explained to him the role. And then I offered him the role. And at the end of the meeting we both got really teary because he didn’t tell me that he and Edgar were very close friends. And Edgar was, oh I want you to do this part so bad but I’m not going to, do that.

Penelope Cruz as Donatella

RM: was a little bit trickier because I obviously know and adore Gaga. And we briefly discussed it but she was doing “A Star Is Born” with Bradley Cooper, that’s basically shooting this whole year and I had to shoot the show this year. So then I was sort of thinking about people and I know Penelope because of Javier and “Eat, Pray, Love” and I spent a lot of time with them. And I just asked if I could speak with her. And she is friends with Donatella. And I thought that was a great in because she knew her, she would be an advocate for her. But again, she is an Oscar winning actress and a great one at that so I thought it would be interesting. And she said yes instantly too. So I had great luck with it. And I also love that for all of them, you’ll see a different side of them. You’ve never seen Penelope do something like that. You’ve certainly never seen Ricky Martin or Edgar do something like that. And it’s been exciting to see.

Suprises: Versace was HIV+

We have a brilliant writer named Tom Rob Smith who’s writing the episode and has really taken an auteur approach to the material. And so he’s really immersed in it. And he’s constantly coming up with great nuggets that are surprising. I think the most devastating thing for me that I learned was that he had HIV and almost died. And at that time there was no cocktail. And he was really devastated because he was a person who loved life and he was trying to figure out a way to pass the company to Donatella because he was going to die. It was a death sentence. But miraculously, right around the time the cocktail had started to come back and he took the right cocktail of pills and got his health back. He felt he had so much left to say and then he was killed out on his steps that morning. He was creating again and designing again and he was crying all the time because his life had been given back to him. You can imagine for Donatella and Gianni and Antonio to have this second life, this great lion of a man was restored to vigor. And he was just snuffed out instantly with two bullets to the face. That was really devastating to me.

Other Victims

The Lee Miglin killing was just so barbaric and cruel and awful. He was a closeted gay man. And Cunanan did that and had such rage, obviously self-loathing, that he killed him in such a violent way. And then dressed him up as a woman with panties and lot of sex toys around so that his family would find this and be humiliated. We spent two days shooting that assassination. And it was really tough. The crew was crying and the actors were crying because it was the exact spot he was killed and you can feel him. Like, who does this in a room? And what else could he have done? He was taken so soon. And you can just imagine the gifts he would have given us.

Actual Filming

Every story has its own organic thing. So for this story we did a really cool thing, we’re starting the story with, the first 15 minutes are music, opera, no dialogue, and it’s Versace restored to health, getting up and starting his day with his staff and then walking to the News Café, intercut with Cunanan stalking him and tracking him. It starts with his murder. And then what we wanted to do was tell the story backwards. Versace was the last murder but in our show he’s the first. And then we go back in time. We tell the story backwards, ending with the Cunanan figure as a young man and Versace as a young man trying to make a stab of it as a designer. There’s only violence and murder in the first four or five episodes. And then you really get into the psychological struggle of how does one person become a creator and how does one become a destroyer. And then the last episode is Cunanan on the houseboat making a decision to kill himself before they arrest him. I’ve never done anything backwards. But I loved the storytelling of it because I think you’ll be so moved because it starts with a violent act and by the time you’ll get to the end you will really realize what Versace had to go through to become Versace and what Cunanan went through to become that killer.

Donatella

RM: We have had some contact with Donatella. I met Allegra when she was younger, she came to the “Glee” live tour. I was very excited to meet Allegra Versace. Donatella had been very kind and very lovely. As a mother she really has been very protective of her children. And that was really her only request was, which she conveyed to Penelope and thus to me, is she really wanted to make sure that her kids weren’t portrayed on screen and that there was nothing about them in the show. I’m a parent and I can understand, I don’t want them to see that and go through any pains. We removed them at her request. And I think it was the right thing to do. But that was it. She has been sort of hands off, and that was her only request. I’m sure it will be incredibly difficult to see. But in a weird way I hope that the family can see it because it really is a tribute to his genius. And also, she comes off incredibly well because it’s really a very modern idea about a woman who is the sister of a very famous person. She’s also creative but suddenly he’s dead and what do I do? Do I fold up the tent or do I keep the business alive? That was incredibly difficult for Donatella to do. And I think she did a very heroic job of it. She saved the company. She mobilized the family. She kept the business afloat and became a modern heroine.

#darren criss #edgar ramirez #penelope cruz #ricky martin #ryan murphy #acs #acs versace #july 2017 #press

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jodyedgarus · 5 years

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The Biggest Surprises From The First Week Of The NBA Playoffs

sara.ziegler (Sara Ziegler, assistant sports editor): We’ve had almost one full week of games in the NBA playoffs, and trends are emerging. Golden State took a 31-point third-quarter lead over the Clippers on Thursday night … and didn’t lose! So after a few early surprises, things seem to be getting back to what we expected.

One series not playing out according to seeding is San Antonio-Denver. The No. 7 Spurs beat the No. 2 Nuggets 118-108 on Thursday to take a 2-1 lead in the series. This comes as a surprise to the FiveThirtyEight NBA Predictions model, which had Denver as an 88 percent favorite to move on. The Nuggets are still favored, but just 60-40. Are you guys surprised by how this series is going?

chris.herring (Chris Herring, senior staff writer): Not all that much, no. I think I picked Denver out of respect for the season it had. But this was the one team basically everybody had questions about coming in.

I had the series going seven games, with Denver winning. It could easily be 3-0 Spurs right now.

tchow (Tony Chow, video producer): I am surprised, but I don’t think we really should be. It’s the Spurs being the Spurs again.

natesilver (Nate Silver, editor in chief): Our model doesn’t like San Antonio very much, so given their regular-season performance and home-court advantage — and Denver has a big home-court advantage — the Nuggets were pretty clear favorites. But it didn’t really like the Nuggets all that much either. They aren’t a great playoff team because their depth doesn’t really help them in the playoffs, the topline talent is not all that good, and they don’t have much playoff experience.

So I’m surprised that we had them as high as 88 percent, frankly! But not surprised that the Spurs are ahead in the series.

chris.herring: On Denver’s home-court advantage: The Nuggets haven’t beaten the Spurs in San Antonio in 14 tries now.

tchow: I am surprised because at one point in the season, our model gave the Spurs just a 4 percent chance of even making the postseason. We had a story a while back that talked about how they started turning it around (better defense, better bench production), but they were still underdogs going into this series, in my opinion.

sara.ziegler: Yeah, I had sort of counted the Spurs out a long time ago.

Let that be a lesson to me: Never count out Pop.

The experience factor really seems to be hurting the Nuggets so far. (And our model took 3 points away from them for their lack of playoff experience.)

chris.herring: Nuggets coach Mike Malone has talked about the experience factor a pretty decent amount in the past week

His young starting point guard, Jamal Murray, began Game 2 going 0-for-8. Malone was asked if he gave thought to pulling him because of Murray’s performance. He said no, in part because he needed to show his young players that he believed in them, and that he’s with them, win or lose. Murray responded by hitting 8-of-9 in the final quarter to bring the Nuggets all the way back for a dramatic win.

The win probably saved their season for the time being. But it speaks to the volatility of having such a young/young-minded club.

tchow: Murray wasn’t much better in Game 3 — just 6 points and two assists. I’m not trying to pin Denver’s failing’s this postseason all on Murray, though. All the Nuggets starters were pretty terrible in Game 3.

chris.herring: It’s a pretty big contrast between the teams.

While we’re talking about the growing pains for a young team, it’s worth pointing out that the Spurs are being led in part by youngster Derrick White, whose defense is his calling card. I think this is his first real exposure to a national audience, but he’s been playing really well for months.

tchow: White’s Game 3 performance was kind of a reminder for a lot of people who don’t watch the Spurs that he existed.

sara.ziegler: LOL

chris.herring: White’s experience has been different because of all the injuries they’ve had. But White and Dejounte Murray are going to be an annoyingly good backcourt once the team is healthy again next season. AND there’s Bryn Forbes, too.

natesilver: The whole Nuggets backcourt feels like it’s way short of championship caliber. It needs an anchor. There are lots of useful pieces you could rotate around that anchor, like Murray and Gary Harris, but without that anchor, it doesn’t quite come together.

chris.herring: It’s tough: They have a fantastic, sure-handed backup in Monte Morris, who led the NBA in assist/turnover ratio.

sara.ziegler: MORE MONTE MORRIS

Cyclones, represent!

chris.herring: He may not win a game for you. But he’s extremely unlikely to ever lose one for you, which you could argue Murray either occasionally does, or comes close to doing. Again: These are the growing pains for a young team sometimes.

sara.ziegler: On to another team that has seemed shaky at times this postseason: the Philadelphia 76ers. But they seem to have recovered from their upset in Game 1 — they’ve beaten the Nets convincingly twice in a row now. What looked different for them in Games 2 and 3?

tchow: Ben. Simmons.

natesilver: Sen. Bimmons.

chris.herring: Yeah, that sounds about right. Whether it was Jared Dudley that got in his head, or just him recognizing that he had to be more aggressive, Simmons has been a completely different player since Game 1.

tchow: Simmons had a -21 plus/minus in Game 1. Game 2 he was +23, and then +11 in Game 3 with a 31 point performance on 85 percent shooting.

chris.herring: I hate to say this, because maybe it’s premature, but I was beginning to think that the Nets could steal this series if things broke right for them.

tchow: I think a lot of people thought that, Chris. The Nets are legit and play really hard.

chris.herring: The Nets stole home-court advantage in Game 1. Were basically even at halftime of Game 2. And then get a gift rolled out on a platter for them, with Joel Embiid sitting out of a Game 3 played in their home arena, in front of a fan base that hasn’t hosted a playoff game in four years.

Thursday was their chance. And I think with the loss now, that might be about it.

natesilver: I’m in the Ben-Simmons-is-underrated camp. Yeah, he doesn’t really have a jumpshot. But he does pretty much everything else well. And there have been a lot of players throughout NBA history who have survived or even thrived without jump shots — Giannis Antetokounmpo basically does that now. The advanced stats like Simmons.

tchow: I think it’s very different for a player like Giannis to not have a jump shot than Simmons.

chris.herring: While we’re on the issue of Simmons, I think we learned that Embiid not being there might have been a help for him

For all the wonderful things Embiid does, he plays at a plodding pace.

Someone like Simmons thrives in an up-tempo environment because of his inability to shoot.

tchow: Sara, I found the hot take for next week’s Hot Takedown episode: FiveThirtyEight’s Chris Herring says Sixers are better without Joel Embiid.

sara.ziegler: LOLOLOL

Yes!

chris.herring: They might be in this series! Well, probably not: Greg Monroe was rough.

If they had more depth, they might be.

natesilver: That’s the thing about Philly. Look how bad their bench is:

Everyone’s like, “Why are these four stars such awkward fits together” — and I’ll admit that they’re a little awkward, but with a half-decent bench, it’s an entirely different team.

chris.herring: I don’t think it’s a terrible bench. And the truth is, you can stagger when you have that many stars.

But the spots in which it’s terrible … yeah.

tchow: Sixers’ bench: Who? Who? Who? The big guy. Who? and Who?

sara.ziegler:

chris.herring: That’s their issue, I think. I’m not sure Boban Marjanovic would work against every team. But he’s their backup big.

natesilver: I saw Boban at the United Airlines lounge at Newark Airport one time. He was very big and tall and sitting in a giant lounge chair and still looked very big and tall.

chris.herring: I tweeted last night that I’m pretty sure he dunked last night with one foot still on the ground.

Anyway: I want to talk more about how disappointed I am in Brooklyn

tchow: Are you just disappointed in their central A/C system at Barclays, Chris?

I promise it's no warmer than 8 degrees in Barclays Center right now. Cold as hell in here.

— Chris Herring (@Herring_NBA) April 19, 2019

chris.herring: Well, that too.

sara.ziegler: Are you disappointed that their slogan is “We go hard,” and then they didn’t?

chris.herring: They did go hard!

It’s not a question of effort with them. It never is. But I think what Nate alluded to is exactly the issue here. The Sixers’ bench isn’t great/may be bad. And the Nets’ second-best player is their bench.

natesilver: Yeah, Brooklyn’s not totally unlike Denver. Excellent depth, no playoff experience, frontline talent is meh.

tchow: Nate, they’re both small-market teams. I get it. (Queens represent!)

sara.ziegler: OMG

Tony trying to start a borough war here.

chris.herring: You generally see Brooklyn go on these massive runs in the second quarter of these games. But then after halftime, the game gets broken open, and Kenny Atkinson — who I really, really like — waits too long to call a timeout!

The Sixers went on a 21-2 (!!!!) run in Game 2 before Atkinson called for timeout. It took a 1-point deficit and expanded it to a 20-point lead for the Sixers. And then the game was over.

tchow: Maybe Atkinson is from the Phil Jackson school of letting the players figure it out on their own.

natesilver: What was the atmosphere like at Barclay’s, Chris? I think it’s one of the coolest venues in sports from an architectural/amenities standpoint, but every time I’ve gone, the fans are sort of half-hearted.

chris.herring: Last night was amazing to start the game. But I think they were sort of stunned to see the team run out of steam.

And as Tony said: I was freezing.

sara.ziegler: Well, it is a hockey rink, too.

chris.herring: So maybe the have to have the ice ready? But good lord.

My phone turned off at one point because of how cold it was.

sara.ziegler: Wow

That’s cold.

chris.herring: The atmosphere was really great. It’s good to have the playoffs in Brooklyn again. And hopefully Manhattan at some point in the next couple years. (side-eyes Knicks)

natesilver: Knicks fans should be rooting against Boston and against Golden State, right?

chris.herring: I’ve heard the same stuff everyone else has about Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving coming to the Knicks. As much as I hear it, I just have to see it to believe that it’ll actually happen.

natesilver: I think KD could leave either after a championship or a flameout. But Kyrie — yeah, he’s already flip-flopped enough that I think Knicks fans want the Celtics out by Round 2.

chris.herring: I think I’m just too conditioned to believe that nothing overwhelmingly good can happen for/with the Knicks unless there’s an enormous downside that comes with it.

sara.ziegler: LOL

natesilver: My current scenario is that they get Kyrie and also draft Ja Morant and somehow that turns into a disaster.

sara.ziegler: Speaking of Kyrie, the Celtics are making quick work of the Pacers. Indiana doesn’t seem to have quite enough offense so far to hang with Boston.

chris.herring:

tchow: I’m actually interesting to read Chris’s thoughts on this series. I remember A LOT of people were down on Boston going into the playoffs.

chris.herring: Yeah. I had some hope that this could be an interesting series.

But I also was tasked with writing an Indiana-based primer for the ESPN side ahead of this series. When I got to the “Why Indiana can win section,” I sat and stared at my screen for like an hour.

So this actually doesn’t surprise me all that much.

They simply don’t have enough offense. Or ingenuity.

natesilver: I haven’t watched much of that series; pretty much my only recollection was seeing a score that was like 76-59 in the fourth quarter of Game 1 and thinking I needed to update my contact lens prescription, but nope, that was the actual score.

chris.herring: They basically hand the ball off to Bojan Bogdanovic and say, “Do something.” Kind of like a kid who does a magic trick, but is still holding the quarter in his hand, in plain sight, for everyone to see.

tchow: Has Boston done anything to change people’s minds about their chances though?

chris.herring: No. They’re merely beating a flawed, weakened team, IMO.

tchow: That’s what I figured about Boston. The real test, if they do end up beating the Pacers, will probably come against Milwaukee.

chris.herring: In fairness to Nate McMillan and the Pacers, this was always going to be an uphill battle, because they’re playing without Victor Oladipo. It was a great accomplishment to go 21-21 this season without their star player after going 0-7 without him last season.

sara.ziegler: Yeah, they don’t really have anything to feel embarrassed about.

chris.herring: I really like Indiana, and have a soft spot for Little-Engine-That-Could sort of teams. But they need some reinvention.

They could use more firepower. But they need better schemes.

natesilver: I feel like the whole first round could use more firepower. Between inexperienced teams, teams with injury problems, teams without any star talent … it feels a little bit like spring training or something.

tchow: I agree, but it has been more interesting than I imagined.

chris.herring: A little.

sara.ziegler: Let’s talk about the other interesting series in the East: No. 2 Toronto has had its hands full with No. 7 Orlando. The Magic took the first game, but the Raptors stormed back in Game 2. The teams will face off Friday night in Orlando. Do we think the Magic have a realistic shot in this series?

natesilver: Mayyyyyybe?

chris.herring: It depends on what you define as “a shot.” I think they can get another game, potentially. I don’t think they will win the series. The Raptors responded in Game 2 the way you hoped a top-flight team would.

sara.ziegler: But the Magic are underrated, Chris!

I heard you say so.

chris.herring: Oh, they are. And not enough people know that.

But I don’t think that I ever conflated them being underrated with the notion that they should somehow beat the Raptors in a series.

tchow: Kyle Lowry responded in Game 2 the way you hoped. Chris wrote about Lowry’s Game 1 woes before, but he responded in a big way.

natesilver: Orlando is a weird-ass team, and they played very well in the second half of the season.

If you’re looking for an upset pick, I’d rather pick a weird team than a normal one.

chris.herring: If they had played competitively in Game 2, sure.

Or had a matchup they could readily exploit.

sara.ziegler: The Raptors had a 98 percent chance to win this series before the playoffs start, and now they’re all the way down to 93 percent. So things are still looking pretty good for them.

In the last series in the East, the Bucks had a little trouble with Detroit before pulling away in Game 2. But the most interesting thing to me about that game was Blake Griffin picking up his second technical foul of the series.

Blake Griffin, you’ll recall, has not actually played yet in this series.

tchow: Bucks in four. I think we can move on?

sara.ziegler: LOL

chris.herring: Yeah. That’s literally the only thing I find interesting about this series. That, and finding out how far away from the basket Giannis can dunk from.

tchow: The NBA tweet highlights of Giannis dunks have been the only saving grace of this series.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Destroyer of Worlds pic.twitter.com/WaXh410LQo

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) April 18, 2019

chris.herring: If and when the NBA move the first round back to a best-of-five, they’re going to use this series as evidence as why. (edited)

natesilver: I think there needs to be a mercy rule where you can concede your playoff series and get like three Lottery Balls or whatever.

sara.ziegler: OK, let’s move back to the West. The Trail Blazers are off to a great start, up 2-0 against the Thunder. Our model is surprised at this series — it had given the Thunder a 77-23 edge. Are you guys surprised?

chris.herring: Yes. I’m surprised. Maybe stupid, too.

natesilver: I mean, if Paul George isn’t himself, our model is gonna screw that series up.

tchow: He’s hurt!

chris.herring: I feel like a contrarian now, but I don’t even think he’s shoulder is the problem anymore. He shot the ball semi-decently last game.

Russ is shooting like he’s the one injured.

tchow: Our model can’t predict that Russell Westbrook will shoot 35 percent and 10 percent from 3-point range in this series.

chris.herring: EXACTLY

What I will say is that I don’t have a lot of faith in OKC if it’s simply relying on the notion that its shooting will improve.

They are shooting 16 PERCENT from three in this series.

Which, while God awful, is only a slight regression for them!

natesilver: That whole quadrant of the bracket — OKC, Portland, San Antonio, Denver — seems incredibly weak to me.

chris.herring: If OKC had a team full of sharpshooters, I could understand having more confidence.

But Russ still defends Damian Lillard as if he’s surprised that Dame can/will pull up from 35 feet.

The guy needs to be treated as if he’s Steph at this point

tchow: I don’t want to take anything away from Portland. Yes, they lost Jusuf Nurkic, but CJ and Dame have been awesome this series.

chris.herring: I came in thinking that this might be a sweep or a 4-1 series in favor of OKC. Simply thought that not having Nurkic would hurt against someone like Steven Adams. I thought CJ McCollum would struggle to find a rhythm (he’s coming off an injury and wasn’t good vs. OKC during the season). We watched Dame log 35 a night against the Thunder during the season and still get swept 4-0 during the regular season.

tchow: CJ has been

chris.herring: I didn’t think they had a great chance in this series. They had lost 10 playoff games in a row. With the exception of perimeter shooting, I thought just about everything else would be in OKC’s favor. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

tchow: If Dame wasn’t in Portland, would he still be this underrated? It feels like this is a storyline every season.

sara.ziegler: That’s a good question.

How many people regularly see him play?

tchow: Basketball nerds: “Look at Damian Lillard!”

Basketball fans: “Who this?”

chris.herring: I guess we have to define underrated.

natesilver: He was All-NBA First Team last season, no?

But, yeah, Portland has to be one of the least-watched teams in the league, or at least by people not in the Pacific Time Zone.

chris.herring: Even if you know who he is, and how great he is, I think you could objectively look at this series — and what the Blazers have done the last two years in the playoffs (0-8) — and say OKC should have been favored.

tchow: For OKC to take Game 3, they need to ____________.

And don’t say something like “play better” (looks at Nate).

sara.ziegler: SHOOT BETTER

chris.herring: … shoot better than my 4-year-old nephew does from outside of 23 feet.

natesilver: I’d say they need to play better basketball.

sara.ziegler: In the other non-Warriors series out West, the Rockets are handling the Jazz easily so far, setting up a showdown with Golden State in the second round. This has played out about as expected, right?

chris.herring: I had higher hopes for Jazz-Rockets. Am impressed with how dominant Houston has looked, but thought Utah would play better than this. Their defensive scheme has looked downright nonsensical to me

tchow: If Chris has a soft spot for Indiana, I think I have a soft spot for Utah. I love this team and wanted more out of them this series.

sara.ziegler: Utah is a very likable team.

natesilver: I didn’t expect Houston to dismantle Utah quite so thoroughly.

In fact, I think that’s the story of the first round so far. It’s a highly consequential story because the Rockets are absolutely good enough to give the Warriors a series.

chris.herring: The disappointment I feel with Utah is equivalent to how excited I am for the second round, with Warriors-Rockets.

That will seemingly be the Western Conference finals, just a round early.

natesilver: It would be quite something if the Rockets actually need fewer games to dispatch Utah than Golden State needs with the Clippers.

chris.herring: Seriously.

tchow: The Jazz just seem like a team that’s so close to figuring it out. Maybe not to a point where you think they can beat Golden State, but they’re so good in the regular season. I don’t know what happens to them in the playoffs.

chris.herring: Yeah, I sort of agree in theory, Tony.

But I think what I’ve learned is that I have to be leery of a team that relies on such a young player to be its leading scorer.

natesilver: Maybe you just need more isolation scoring in the playoffs? Or more scoring, period?

chris.herring: I remember a stat from last year: Donovan Mitchell was the first rookie to lead a playoff team in regular-season scoring since Carmelo Anthony.

I think there’s a reason we don’t see it happen much. And I think it’s even more problematic for a team built like that to have all sorts of horrible defensive breakdowns, because at that point, you know they have no shot at keeping up in a shootout against one of the best scorers in modern history.

If Quin Snyder rolls out the exact same defensive scheme that he did in Games 1 and 2, this series will end in a sweep.

natesilver: Is Mitchell … a little bit like Carmelo Anthony in that he’s taking too many shots? I mean, I guess he has to take a lot of shots with that lineup. But Utah really needs another player who can create his own shot.

tchow: What if you played a player like Royce O’Neale more? He’s +1.8 on defense (according to our model), and it looks like they do a bit better defensively with him on the floor.

chris.herring: He’s another example of what Nate is talking about, though: A guy that isn’t likely to create his own shot.

This is a team that will need to take a long, hard look at itself this summer despite how well it’s played during the second half of these last two seasons.

tchow: One obvious fix would be to get rid of Grayson Allen.

KIDDING!!!

natesilver: I also think Utah benefits from being a bit unorthodox. Rubio is an unorthodox point guard. They’re defense-first. They can play at a slow pace, although they picked up their pace a lot this year. They’re well-coached. So there’s an advantage from game-planning in the regular season. But Daryl Morey and the Rockets are going to study the hell out of the Jazz and know how to counter.

chris.herring: Some of these teams are built to play really, really well in the regular season. And there’s incredible value in that, for seeding purposes, etc.

But the inability to change your playing style when you’re forced to is often fatal this time of year.

sara.ziegler: Finally, Golden State seemed like Golden State in Game 3 of their series against the Clippers. So that panic appears to be over?

chris.herring: Hell, they seemed like Golden State in Game 2 to me!

It was just a massive collapse at the end of Game 2.

sara.ziegler: LOL

chris.herring: I actually pointed out yesterday that the game played out exactly the same way for a long while:

Steph got his fourth foul tonight with Warriors up 24. Kerr subbed him out at 8:39 in the 3Q.

Steph got his fourth foul on Monday with Warriors were up 28. Kerr subbed him out at 8:39 left in the 3Q.

— Chris Herring (@Herring_NBA) April 19, 2019

natesilver: Our model thought the DeMarcus Cousins injury was a pretty big deal. Although I think it overrated how effective Cousins had been this season.

sara.ziegler: All season, Cousins has been more about potential in our model.

But the Warriors didn’t need him early in the season, obviously.

tchow: I have nothing much to say about this series, but I do want to point readers to this interview KD gave before Game 3.

Kevin Durant goes extremely in depth on the Clippers style of defense, the overhelp, why he won’t get caught up in a 1-on-1 battle with Patrick Beverley pic.twitter.com/nOdmTDY4yi

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 17, 2019

natesilver: It’s not that they’re going to lose to the Clippers, but I do just have to wonder about a team’s mentality when they can blow a 30-point lead.

chris.herring: NBC analyst Tom Haberstroh pointed out that Steph was only averaging 19.9 points per 36 minutes this season with Boogie on the court, and that he essentially morphed into Malcolm Brogdon.

Averaged 31.4 points per 36 minutes without DeMarcus on the floor.

sara.ziegler: Wow

natesilver: I mean, part of that might be that Steph was being deferential in an effort to get Cousins feeling like himself again.

chris.herring: EXACTLY

Which … there isn’t time to do that in the playoffs.

tchow: Definitely. I think Steph went through a similar dip when KD joined too.

chris.herring: The last thing you want is Steph playing nice when you need him to be Steph.

natesilver: It does just seem kind of impossible when you have to shut down Steph AND KD and Klay. Even if the rest of the team kind of sucks.

chris.herring: I tend to think this helps them for now, but the Rockets series was one of the overarching reasons they signed Cousins — to make it so Houston couldn’t switch as much as they did on them last year

natesilver: Yeah. So in some ways, we’re back to last year’s series, which was as even as it gets. The Rockets lately are playing as well as last year. And the Warriors without Cousins are basically last year’s team.

sara.ziegler: After this matchup, will we even want to finish out the playoffs??

natesilver: Well, the Western Conference finals are likely to be an anti-climax.

tchow: LOL. Yes! I for one am very interested to see who comes out of the East to play against Warriors/Rockets.

Check out our latest NBA predictions.

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-biggest-surprises-from-the-first-week-of-the-nba-playoffs/

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jrgsportsbuzz · 5 years

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BUCKS VS PISTONS EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINAL PREVIEW

The 2019 NBA Playoffs are upon us, and the hometown Milwaukee Bucks are the best team in the league from the regular season. The Bucks, after suffering through years of mediocrity and futility since their last playoff series victory in 2001, went 60-22 this season behind a new coach (Mike Budenholzer) and a new, state-of-the-art home facility (Fiserv Forum). Milwaukee surrounded superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo with a lethal 3-point shooting attack that freed him up to produce on an MVP level and lead them to their best regular season since 1980-81.

Budenholzer, who previously coached the Atlanta Hawks, was hired after the Bucks fired Jason Kidd during the middle of last season and decided not to retain interim coach Joe Prunty. The new head man ushered in a system that relied much more on the 3-point shot and effectively eliminated the mid-range from the Bucks offense. This created a ruthlessly efficient attack that forced defenders away from the paint and allowed Antetokounmpo to have many one-on-one opportunities where he is basically unstoppable. As a result, Milwaukee was the highest-scoring team in the league and led the NBA in point differential.

The Bucks will have a great opportunity to get that elusive playoff series victory in the first round against the eighth-seeded Detroit Pistons, who finished the season 41-41. Nearly all of the matchups in the series favor Milwaukee.

PG: Eric Bledsoe (MIL) vs. Reggie Jackson (DET)

Bledsoe was acquired by the Bucks early in 2017-18 in a trade with the Phoenix Suns. He is an athletic, thick-bodied point guard who plays with a lot of energy but struggles with consistency. When he is on his game, he slashes to the rim better than most of his NBA counterparts and creates open opportunities for his teammates. He also uses his athleticism on the boards, as he averages nearly five per game. However, his 3-point shot is mediocre at best and he sometimes takes it too often considering his limited abilities from that range. His temper is unpredictable as well, evidenced by him throwing a ball at Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid’s chest in a win at Philadelphia on April 4. He will need to be the efficient facilitator he’s shown he can be in order for Milwaukee to challenge for the title.

Jackson came up with the Oklahoma City Thunder as a backup to superstar Russell Westbrook, and his play off the bench was solid enough to get the Pistons to trade for him to be their point guard of the future. He has remained the starter (when healthy; he has had injury issues in Detroit), but hasn’t developed into the elite floor general Detroit was hoping for. He still averages 15-20 points per game, but his assist numbers have declined to less than five per game. That is rather surprising considering the Pistons boast one of the NBA’s top frontcourts in power forward Blake Griffin and center Andre Drummond. Like Bledsoe, Jackson struggles with consistency and has shown a propensity to hijack the team’s offense at times. His efficiency and playmaking will have to improve if the Pistons hope to pull a first round upset.

The point guard matchup is one between two players who struggle to consistently produce at a high level, though both players have the capability to do it at any time. Bledsoe’s game is more diverse, as he plays better on defense and has a more widespread arsenal of moves and playmaking abilities. Edge: Bucks

SG: Sterling Brown (MIL) vs. Bruce Brown (DET)

Sterling Brown, a solid role player for the Bucks who has shown steady improvement since last season (his rookie year), has earned a pinch-starting role in place of Malcolm Brogdon, a heady offensive-minded player who rarely made mistakes. Milwaukee’s Brown is a streaky shooter, but uses his thick frame to penetrate and is deceptively athletic. He also plays well on defense and has stepped into the starting role admirably. However, he has platooned with Pat Connaughton and Khris Middleton at the 2-guard spot during Brogdon’s absence.

Bruce Brown is a role player who has played a bit better late in the season for Detroit. He, like Sterling Brown, was a second-round draft pick, though Bruce is in his rookie season. His athleticism allows him to make some highlight-reel plays, but he is a work in progress for the Pistons. He will platoon with Luke Kennard, a second-year sharpshooter who likely will play more due to his superior scoring ability.

Both shooting guards are role players who normally would come off the bench. However, the injury to Brogdon for the Bucks and the limited options for Detroit enable Sterling and Bruce Brown (no relation) to start for their respective teams. Edge: Bucks

SF: Khris Middleton (MIL) vs. Wayne Ellington (DET)

Middleton is widely regarded as the Bucks second-best player and Giannis’ sidekick. The silky-smooth wing has a deadly outside shot (though somewhat streaky) and can get into the lane better than most people think. He constantly makes efforts to diversify his offense, which sometimes drags down his shooting numbers a bit. In addition, he struggles at times with consistency, but he can be counted on to provide 20+ points in most games, including some performances in the 30s and 40s. He also uses his long arms well on defense and has improved as an on-ball defender over the years.

Ellington has been a role player in the league for ten seasons, with that role being a deadly 3-point shooter. He has always held one of the highest 3-point percentages in the league, but he does not provide much else on offense. He is a decent on-ball defender, however. Detroit is employing a rather small lineup with him in the 3 spot, considering he normally is a shooting guard.

Middleton, while somewhat inconsistent at times, can be one of the best offensive players in the league when he’s on his game. When he and Antetokounmpo are on the floor together, the Bucks are one of the NBA’s most prolific offensive teams, regardless of who the other three players are. Ellington is a seasoned veteran and a good 3-and-D option, but Middleton is clearly the better player. Edge: Bucks

PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) vs. Blake Griffin (DET)

Antetokounmpo, the NBA’s third-leading scorer this season, has become a player that needs no introduction. He has blossomed from a raw, thin rookie to possibly the NBA’s best player in the span of six seasons. He is one of the most unique players the league has ever had, as his abundant length and superb athleticism allows him to do things on the court that very few, if any, players have ever done. Giannis is a tireless worker who is always looking to improve despite how dominant he is at this stage. No one can stop him when he is driving the lane, his touch around the basket is at the point where he almost never misses an inside shot, and he can pretty much dunk on anyone at any time. In addition, his game away from the basket is always getting better, as he has developed a solid mid-range touch and his 3-point shot is gradually becoming dangerous. When he fully develops that long-range shot, he will become a player that cannot even be contained, let alone stopped. Finally, he moves his feet and rotates extremely well on defense, and the aforementioned length and athleticism make him an incredible shot blocker. He and center Brook Lopez make the Bucks extremely difficult to score on inside.

Griffin, who the Pistons acquired in a trade last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, has been one of the NBA’s best at power forward since his rookie season. His incredible athleticism has dwindled a bit over the years, but his production remains largely the same due to his diversification on offense. He was part of an athletic, high-flying offense during his first few seasons with the Clippers, as he teamed with point guard Chris Paul and center DeAndre Jordan to produce an attack known as “Lob City” due to the many alley-oops from Paul to him and Jordan. However, in his later years in L.A. and time in Detroit, Griffin has become a much better shooter and has more moves around the basket. This has allowed him to remain one of the league’s best despite his diminished dunking ability. He also is one of the NBA’s best passing power forwards, as he actually led the Pistons in assists with 5.4 per game. Detroit has a frontcourt that can hang with anyone with Griffin and Drummond.

Giannis is one of the league’s best, most versatile players and he is in close competition with Houston Rockets’ scoring machine James Harden for the NBA’s MVP award. The 2019 playoffs provide another chance to show he can be an alpha dog on the league’s biggest stage. Griffin has playoff experience from his time with the Clippers and will be counted upon to continue his massive production for the Pistons. Griffin is a great player, but Giannis has become otherworldly. Edge: Bucks

C: Brook Lopez (MIL) vs. Andre Drummond (DET)

Lopez was a one-year signing for Milwaukee who fit perfectly in Budenholzer’s system. He greatly improved his 3-point shot and became one of the league’s deadliest pick-and-pop centers, as he set a record for most 3-pointers made in a season by a 7-foot player. In fact, the majority of his offensive production came from outside the arc, which, even in today’s game, is a rarity for centers. Because of his extended time on the perimeter, Lopez did not have as big of an impact on the boards as most players at his position, though that has always been the case throughout his career. He also was a force on defense, as he averaged over two blocks per game to lead the Bucks and finish fourth in the league in that category.

Drummond is of the league’s top anchors in the middle and is the Pistons’ franchise player. He averaged over 15 points and 15 rebounds per game for the second season in a row this year and has been a dominant force in the paint and on the glass (the latter in particular) since his second year. The Detroit center has finished either first or second in the league in rebounding the past six seasons, including leading the league in three out of the past four. This year has been his best in the scoring column, as he averaged nearly 18 points per game. The majority of his points come from offensive rebounds and feeds down low, but he has improved his shooting touch the last two seasons. After being a 35-40 percent free throw shooter over his first five seasons, he has improved to nearly 60 percent in the past two. He has even knocked down five 3-pointers this season, though that will likely never be a significant part of his game. He also plays well on defense, using his size, awareness and deceptive quickness for someone his size in averaging over one and a half steals and blocks per game over the past two seasons.

Lopez has asserted himself as a weapon for the Bucks with his ability to stretch the floor as a shooting big. He has always been a solid offensive player and Budenholzer gave him a role that fit perfectly with Milwaukee. However, Drummond is possibly the league’s best center and is a true beast in the middle. He is the best rebounder in the league, has improved offensively and gives Detroit a presence few teams in the NBA come close to having. Edge: Pistons

Bench: Pat Connaughton, D.J. Wilson, Nikola Mirotic, Tim Frazier, George Hill, Tony Snell, Ersan Ilyasova (MIL) vs. Luke Kennard, Jon Leuer, Zaza Pachulia, Ish Smith, Glenn Robinson III, Thon Maker, Jose Calderon, Langston Galloway, Khyri Thomas (DET)

One of the understated reasons for Milwaukee’s breakthrough this season has been depth. The injuries to Brogdon and Mirotic illustrate that, as the Bucks did not suffer a drop-off without them. Connaughton is an athletic player who can shoot well from outside and fill the stat sheet in a myriad of ways. Wilson was raw as a rookie last year, but has improved greatly over the course of this season and has taken many of Ilyasova’s minutes. Mirotic is questionable for this series, but if he can play, he is another big man who can stretch the floor and is a solid presence on the glass. Hill is a seasoned veteran point guard with a deadly outside shot and has playoff pedigree from last season in Cleveland and his tenures with the Spurs and the Pacers earlier in his career. Snell is the ultimate 3-and-D presence off the bench with solid length and athleticism. Ilyasova has been a very good stretch-four during his career (he spent most of it with the Bucks before departing for a couple of seasons) along with being an underrated rebounder, but his production and playing time have diminished during the latter part of the season. Frazier adds depth at point guard and had a couple solid performances as a late-season pickup.

Kennard is a 3-point shooter who will play as much if not more than Bruce Brown at the shooting guard spot during the playoffs. Leuer is an athletic stretch-four, but his role has diminished over the past two seasons due to injuries and added depth. Pachulia has always been a rugged role-playing big man who is a perfect backup for Drummond. Smith is one of the fastest players in the league, but many other aspects of his game have been average at best. He has spent most of his career as a backup point guard. Robinson, son of former Bucks forward Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson, is an athletic wing who has largely spent his career as a role-playing slasher. Maker was traded to the Pistons by the Bucks in early February and has had a much larger role with Detroit than he had with Milwaukee, where he was buried on the depth chart. He is a 7-1 center/forward who can block shots with ease and shoot from outside. However, he is still very raw and gets bullied down low easily by stronger post players. Calderon is a veteran guard who has always been a steady hand, but his age makes him more of a team presence than anything. Galloway can get hot as an outside shooter, but he does not offer much else. Thomas is a seldom-used wing who is a work in progress.

The Pistons have more players at their disposal right now due to the Bucks’ injuries (Brogdon, veteran forward Pau Gasol, Mirotic (he might play vs. Detroit)), but Milwaukee’s crop off the bench is more productive. The Bucks’ depth has served them well throughout the season and there is much reason to believe that will continue into the playoffs. Edge: Bucks

Coach: Mike Budenholzer (MIL) vs. Dwane Casey (DET)

As the Bucks have built the talented team they have now, the organization was looking for someone that could implement the right scheme and maximize the abundant ability of the team. Budenholzer, who willed undermanned Atlanta Hawks teams to playoff appearances before coming to Milwaukee, turned out to be the perfect fit. His calculated 3-point and driving offensive philosophies turned the Bucks from a poor, inefficient shooting team to possibly the most efficient, prolific offenses in the NBA. He is likely a shoo-in for NBA Coach of the Year in 2019.

Casey, the defending Coach of the Year who was surprisingly let go by the Toronto Raptors last season, has pedigree of his own. He has always run a hard-nosed, half-court based offense and tough defensive system that turned the Raptors into one of the Eastern Conference’s best squads. However, Toronto decided to go in another direction after the team once again lost to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals. The Pistons wasted no time in hiring him after Toronto let him go, but he inherited a roster nowhere near as talented as the one he had with the Raptors. His willing this bunch into a mere playoff team was a solid coaching job.

There is not much of an advantage either way here, but Budenholzer’s breakthrough and his being this year’s probable Coach of the Year gives him a small edge. Edge: Bucks

FINAL ANALYSIS

Milwaukee finally broke through in 2018-19 after years of heartbreak and anticipation at the same time. After a regime that seemed settled on earning a low playoff seed under former owner Herb Kohl, New York trust fund investors Marc Lasry and Wes Edens, along with other investors, have transformed the Bucks into a franchise with a championship mentality, and the team broke in its new arena with style. This is their best chance to finally win a playoff series again, as the Pistons simply do not have the talent to compete with the Bucks when they are at their best. Drummond and Griffin present matchup issues and the Bucks will have to play Giannis down low defensively through the whole series, but Milwaukee has a big edge on the perimeter with Middleton and Bledsoe. Detroit will win one home game behind a raucous crowd and a dominant performance by the frontcourt, but the Bucks are clearly a better team and will close it at home after winning a road game. PREDICTION: Bucks in 5

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flauntpage · 6 years

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Giannis Antetokounmpo Finally Has the Space He Deserves

Giannis Antetokounmpo spent the first month of his fifth season consecrating his own mind-melting ability. Just 22 years old, already nearing the end of his paralyzing transition from phenom to titan, Antetokounmpo wielded every statistical benchmark you'd find in an MVP, mutilating box scores without hesitation. He exploded off the starting blocks by averaging 30.6 points (with a 57.8 field goal percentage), 10.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game. (If you want to get weird and talk like Elon Musk, Antetokounmpo became basketball’s very own alien dreadnought before our very eyes.)

Until opponents adjusted by coaxing more unremarkable jumpers, the kind that provided a prayer’s chance relative to his unstoppable production at the rim, Antetokounmpo mixed laudable agility with violent power and a 7’3” wingspan to hold the NBA hostage. His dominance popped on both ends. But as the year went on, defenses took a deep breathe and found relative “success” slowing him down, be it with consequential hustle back in transition or an even more urgent willingness to help off teammates in the half-court.

Sometimes neither strategy worked, even when executed to near perfection. Antetokounmpo's evolution was that overwhelming:

Now, almost an entire offseason removed from a disappointing first-round loss against the depleted Boston Celtics—a series someone in Antetokounmpo’s talent bracket should’ve dominated—the Milwaukee Bucks have made several moves to stimulate their franchise player in ways that mirror those carried out by one of the league’s best teams two summer summers ago.

In 2016, the Houston Rockets failed to put a second star (Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Mike Conley, etc.) next to James Harden. Instead—right after Kent Bazemore spurned them to re-sign with the Atlanta Hawks—Daryl Morey signed Ryan Anderson (four years, $80 million) and Eric Gordon (four years, $53 million) to deals that were longer and more expensive than many anticipated.

Both agreements were criticized for various reasons, but Morey knew that leveraging his most important player’s all-around craftsmanship in space would let Houston be the very best possible version of itself. The result was 14 more wins and the point differential of a legitimate championship contender.

What we’re seeing in Milwaukee almost qualifies as a marginalized version of that same approach. They added nobody on Gordon’s level, or a transparent specialist like Anderson. No new contracts will crush their cap sheet for years to come, either. But the bottom-line similarities should foster a situation where Antetokounmpo is finally able to play in space; if all goes according to plan, the Bucks should almost always have a center who can shoot threes by his side. The days of Greg Monroe, Miles Plumlee, Zaza Pachulia, and Larry Sanders will feel one million miles away.

In comes Ersan Ilyasova, just signed to a three-year (the third year is non-guaranteed), $21 million contract. (Ilyasova was Antetokounmpo's teammate for the first two seasons of his career, before Giannis became an impact player, hardly ever at the five.)

Ilyasova isn’t a complete player but, as someone who doesn’t get destroyed on the defensive end, can be a nuisance on the glass, and knock down open threes, it’s not surprising to see his on/off numbers be so positive over the past few years—particularly on offense. Lineups that put him as a stretch center next to Giannis, Khris Middleton, and just about any backcourt combination Mike Budenholzer wants to deploy, will be a nightmare. And, frankly, replacing Jabari Parker with Ilyasova should solve some unwanted problems.

The Bucks were bad when Parker and Antetokounmpo shared the floor last season, with the point differential of a team that could’ve picked third or fourth in the draft. Parker didn’t make his season debut until February 2, and coming off two ACL surgeries in the same knee it wasn’t fair to expect much. But enough was seen over the past few years to at least question their fit as long-term collaborators.

With Parker gone, addition by subtraction is a distinct possibility. The former second overall pick does not view himself as “the help,” and watching Antetokounmpo run high pick-and-roll from the corner wasn’t a sustainable way for him to function. He engaged himself with well-timed cuts along the baseline, but too often would trade purposeful movement with a restless boredom that destroyed Milwaukee’s spacing. It all bubbled into a palpable tension on more than one occasion; he was clearly upset with a role that forced him to play off Giannis instead of the other way around. Look how disgusted Parker gets below:

Parker is better than Ilysasova, but on this team, next to Antetokounmpo, in Budenholzer’s system, it’s not hard to see whose minutes would be more beneficial. There are, of course, so many different ways for Antetokounmpo to positively impact Milwaukee’s offense—be it as a putback monster or diving big man—but taking the ball out of his hands ultimately does the opposing team a favor.

When he wasn’t frolicking in the open floor, the Bucks loved to gift Antetokounmpo with a ball screen from one of their guards, a strategy that dissuaded a switch and let him get downhill. Unfortunately, running this too often with their center in the dunker’s spot, and non-shooters spotting up on the weakside, was less than ideal.

These sequences always had the right idea, but were often foiled by Milwaukee’s own detrimental personnel, whether it be Tyler Zeller or John Henson’s man who made it feel like the game was five on four.

The next man up is Brook Lopez, whose ideal role in Milwaukee should be as the fulcrum of its second unit, someone who can force double teams in the post and carry the offense for small stretches when Antetokounmpo is sidelined early in the second and fourth quarters. But run the actions seen above with him standing in for Henson and suddenly the Bucks are that much harder to guard. Lopez nearly shot 50 percent from the short corner and a third of all his shots last season were wide-open threes—he made 36 percent of them.

Imagine him on this play below, either available for a kickout or dragging Serge Ibaka to the perimeter.

Henson tries to make himself useful by setting a back pick on Kyle Lowry, but Ibaka could not care less about Antetokounmpo's vision (he's not Ben Simmons, LeBron James, or Harden), or Henson floating to the weak-side corner. Only four of Henson’s 552 shots were beyond the arc last year, according to Cleaning the Glass. He isn’t a bad player. Whenever his man would load up on the strongside to thwart Giannis in the post, he’d cut into an open pocket and either make himself available or drag a help defender off someone else.

But, at the end of the day, that’s not good enough. Every single person who Milwaukee pays from this moment forward needs to make Antetokounmpo’s life easier in an obvious way. Right now, it's preferred that help come from players who're just as effective without the ball. Lopez and Ilyasova will either unlatch driving lanes or find themselves launching a whole bunch of open threes; at least one of them should always be on the floor.

Against defenses that knew what he wanted to do, Antetokounmpo averaged 11 drives per game last year, a strong number relative to his position and size, but pretty weak once you consider how often the ball was in his hands, his skill-set, and how many minutes he played. Some of this is on him, to tighten up his handle in traffic and be less willing to settle for a long two when the defense turns the restricted area into a moat. But some of it's thanks to a noticeably cramped floor. That should change next season.

There will come a day when, just like the Rockets needed to add a ball-handling star like Chris Paul and more two-way wings, the Bucks will have to acquire talent at different positions, with more varied skill-sets, if they want to make a serious run at the title. What they've done this summer is a step in the right direction, but it’s not that. Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, and Eric Bledsoe are all unrestricted free agents in 2019, and even if the Bucks noticeably improve under Bud with more space and a fluid half-court offense, locking any two of the three up long-term will essentially cement what they are through the rest of Antetokounmpo’s current contract, which expires in 2021.

Smart money might be on trading one before this year’s deadline, letting another walk next summer (a la Parker), and then re-signing the last man standing to a fair deal. Depending on who fits which slot and what they get back in a potential trade, the Bucks can open max cap space (and then some) in the offseason before Antetokounmpo’s contract year. Until then, he's one of the most underpaid players in the league, on a team that's finally making a transparent effort to build around. It'd be a shame if the Bucks don't ever capitalize.

So much can change between now and a few years, but if Milwaukee wants to keep their best player for the rest of his career, it behooves them to bring in another legitimate All-Star sometime over the next two years. For now, tinkering around the edges with sensical companions who'll open the floor is a pretty good strategy. What happens beyond that is anybody’s guess.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Finally Has the Space He Deserves published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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amtushinfosolutionspage · 6 years

Text

Giannis Antetokounmpo Finally Has the Space he Deserves

Giannis Antetokounmpo spent the first month of his fifth season consecrating his own mind-melting ability. Just 22 years old, already nearing the end of his paralyzing transition from phenom to titan, Antetokounmpo wielded every statistical benchmark you’d find in an MVP, mutilating box scores without hesitation. He exploded off the starting blocks by averaging 30.6 points (with a 57.8 field goal percentage), 10.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game. (If you want to get weird and talk like Elon Musk, Antetokounmpo became basketball’s very own alien dreadnought before our very eyes.)

Sometimes neither strategy worked, even when executed to near perfection. Antetokounmpo’s evolution was that overwhelming:

In comes Ersan Ilyasova, just signed to a three-year (the third year is non-guaranteed), $21 million contract. (Ilyasova was Antetokounmpo’s teammate for the first two seasons of his career, before Giannis became an impact player, hardly ever at the five.)

Imagine him on this play below, either available for a kickout or dragging Serge Ibaka to the perimeter.

Henson tries to make himself useful by setting a back pick on Kyle Lowry, but Ibaka could not care less about Antetokounmpo’s vision (he’s not Ben Simmons, LeBron James, or Harden), or Henson floating to the weak-side corner. Only four of Henson’s 552 shots were beyond the arc last year, according to Cleaning the Glass. He isn’t a bad player. Whenever his man would load up on the strongside to thwart Giannis in the post, he’d cut into an open pocket and either make himself available or drag a help defender off someone else.

But, at the end of the day, that’s not good enough. Every single person who Milwaukee pays from this moment forward needs to make Antetokounmpo’s life easier in an obvious way. Right now, it’s preferred that help come from players who’re just as effective without the ball. Lopez and Ilyasova will either unlatch driving lanes or find themselves launching a whole bunch of open threes; at least one of them should always be on the floor.

Against defenses that knew what he wanted to do, Antetokounmpo averaged 11 drives per game last year, a strong number relative to his position and size, but pretty weak once you consider how often the ball was in his hands, his skill-set, and how many minutes he played. Some of this is on him, to tighten up his handle in traffic and be less willing to settle for a long two when the defense turns the restricted area into a moat. But some of it’s thanks to a noticeably cramped floor. That should change next season.

There will come a day when, just like the Rockets needed to add a ball-handling star like Chris Paul and more two-way wings, the Bucks will have to acquire talent at different positions, with more varied skill-sets, if they want to make a serious run at the title. What they’ve done this summer is a step in the right direction, but it’s not that. Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, and Eric Bledsoe are all unrestricted free agents in 2019, and even if the Bucks noticeably improve under Bud with more space and a fluid half-court offense, locking any two of the three up long-term will essentially cement what they are through the rest of Antetokounmpo’s current contract, which expires in 2021.

Smart money might be on trading one before this year’s deadline, letting another walk next summer (a la Parker), and then re-signing the last man standing to a fair deal. Depending on who fits which slot and what they get back in a potential trade, the Bucks can open max cap space (and then some) in the offseason before Antetokounmpo’s contract year. Until then, he’s one of the most underpaid players in the league, on a team that’s finally making a transparent effort to build around. It’d be a shame if the Bucks don’t ever capitalize.

So much can change between now and a few years, but if Milwaukee wants to keep their best player for the rest of his career, it behooves them to bring in another legitimate All-Star sometime over the next two years. For now, tinkering around the edges with sensical companions who’ll open the floor is a pretty good strategy. What happens beyond that is anybody’s guess.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Finally Has the Space he Deserves syndicated from https://australiahoverboards.wordpress.com

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junker-town · 7 years

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Here's all 30 NBA teams' best 3-on-3 lineups, ranked

Here’s a hint: The Warriors would still win.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) introduced 15 new events for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. One of those events is 3-on-3 basketball.

That got us at SB Nation thinking: which three players would each NBA team send to compete in a 3-on-3 tournament? And which team would have the best shot at winning?

Here’s our list:

30. Los Angeles Lakers

D’Angelo Russell Jordan Clarkson Larry Nance Jr.

I’m only here for the Russel-to-Nance lob passes. If the Lakers could have Lou Williams back, they’d move up to 29.

29. Dallas Mavericks

Seth Curry Harrison Barnes Nerlens Noel

I deferred to our in-house Mavericks expert, Tim Cato, who picked hand-picked these guys. I had Wesley Matthews, Barnes and Dirk Nowitzki. Here’s why he chose his lineup:

... Alright, Tim isn’t available, so I’m speaking for him. These three guys are the youngest talents on the team and provide more athleticism than my lineup would have. That’s about all I’ve got, though.

28. Sacramento Kings

Tyreke Evans Buddy Hield Rudy Gay

I tried to figure out which players would have the best shot at winning a game. Yes, Skal Labissiere is gonna be good some day, and Darren Collison is the starting point guard, but these three guys give the Kings the best shot at pulling an upset, especially if Hield is the second coming of Stephen Curry.

27. Orlando Magic

Evan Fournier Terrence Ross Aaron Gordon

This would be fun solely because we get to watch Terrence Ross and Aaron Gordon trade poster dunks. Wouldn’t be so much fun when their opponents start playing defense.

26. Phoenix Suns

Eric Bledsoe Devin Booker Brandon Knight

It would be very Phoenix of the Suns to trot out a three-guard lineup with Bledsoe, Booker and Knight. That might just give them the edge — everyone’s quick, small and can shoot. But that’s about it with this team.

25. Brooklyn Nets

Jeremy Lin Caris LeVert Brook Lopez

Lin and Lopez were the easy picks. I was tempted to go with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson because of his defense. I was tempted to go with Sean Kilpatrick because of his offense. I chose LeVert because he’s the best rookie you’ve never heard of. Still a lot of Ls, though.

24. Charlotte Hornets

Kemba Walker Nic Batum Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

This team really doesn’t stand much of a chance against the tougher competition, but hoooomygod just clear it out and give the ball to Kemba.

23. Atlanta Hawks

Dennis Schroder Kent Bazemore Paul Millsap

I was tempted to go with Taurean Prince over Bazemore, and Tim Hardaway Jr. may be more suitable for a 3-on-3 setting, but Bazemore is Atlanta’s best wing player. Can’t see this team winning more than two games, though.

22. New Orleans Pelicans

Jrue Holiday DeMarcus Cousins Anthony Davis

Not sure the two big man thing works in a 3-on-3, but they can each handle the ball and shoot. Don’t think they’re gonna win very many games though

21. Detroit Pistons

Reggie Jackson Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Andre Drummond

In a 5-on-5, I wouldn’t dare take Reggie Jackson. In a 3-on-3, however, you need a guy who can create a shot out of thin air. Jackson’s that guy — sometimes to a fault — and giving him a shooter and a lob option is a great mix for this competition.

20. Miami Heat

Goran Dragic Dion Waiters Hassan Whiteside

Give the ball to Dion Waiters and get out of the way.

19. New York Knicks

Derrick Rose Carmelo Anthony Kristaps Porzingis

This team looks great on paper, but we know how this story ends.

18. Philadelphia 76ers

Ben Simmons Dario Saric Joel Embiid

We don’t know what Ben Simmons looks like on an NBA court yet. So for 3-on-3 blacktop purposes, let’s say he’s a mix between LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and Oscar Robertson all in their primes. Yup, I’ve got Philly, too.

17. Denver Nuggets

Wilson Chandler Danilo Gallinari Nikola Jokic

Who needs a point guard in a 3-on-3 when you’ve got The Joker? I can see Chander and Gallo running action amongst themselves while Jokic either makes the right pass or gets an easy post-up bucket. They could be unstoppable... or really bad. Who knows?

16. Indiana Pacers

Jeff Teague Paul George Myles Turner

Is this team convincing enough for you to pick them in a 3-on-3 tournament?

15. Memphis Grizzlies

Mike Conley Chandler Parsons Tony Allen Marc Gasol

The Grizzlies play one way and one way only: with grit. No need to change that for a 3-on-3 game. We wanted Chandler Parsons on the floor for spacing, but he’s out 4-6 months nursing a pinky toe injury, so we replaced him with First Team All-Defense.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder

Russell Westbrook Victor Oladipo Enes Kanter

This is really a 1-on-3, but I put two other guys next to Westbrook just for fun.

13. Portland Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard C.J. McCollum Jusuf Nurkic

This is my dark horse because you have three playmakers on the floor. Imagine Lillard and McCollum getting each other open for Nurkic’s pinpoint passes? Or just a straight up iso for McCollum on the wing? Maybe a Lillard stutter-step pull-up 3?

This is a very fun team.

12. Utah Jazz

George Hill Gordon Hayward Rudy Gobert

Gobert’s a really good shot blocker and rebounder, but he’s also an extraordinary screen setter. That’ll give defenses problems, especially with Hill and Hayward.

11. Chicago Bulls

Rajon Rondo Dwyane Wade Jimmy Butler

These guys showed you can’t count them out in the first round against the Celtics. With a healthy Rondo, anything is possible.

10. Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo Khris Middleton Jabari Parker

With a healthy Parker, this team is about as good as any the NBA has to offer. If you’re not the Warriors (KD), Cavs (LeBron), or Spurs (Kawhi), you don’t really have an answer for Giannis. And that’s game right there.

9. Washington Wizards

John Wall Bradley Beal Markieff Morris

John Wall and Bradley Beal are a duo tailor-made for 2-on-2 basketball. I thought to add Otto Porter here, but he’s mostly a corner 3-point shooter. You can add Markieff Morris, who can shoot the 3 but also create his own shot, instead.

8. Toronto Raptors

Kyle Lowry DeMar DeRozan Serge Ibaka

These guys are good up until they run into Cleveland.

7. Minnesota Timberwolves

Zach LaVine Andrew Wiggins Karl-Anthony Towns

This team would be really fun to watch. They’re conditioned to play 50-minute games. They can shoot, they’re all young and athletic. Bet’s on this squad to upset someone.

6. Boston Celtics

Isaiah Thomas Avery Bradley Al Horford

This 3-on-3 team perfectly exemplifies the Celtics’ current situation. Avery Bradley is a stud, but against top-level talent, Boston needs a third All-Star. Imagine this team with Jimmy Butler, Gordon Hayward, or Paul George? That’s a different conversation.

5. Los Angeles Clippers

Chris Paul Jamal Crawford Blake Griffin

I’m not sure you need two big men in a 3-on-3 tournament. And while DeAndre Jordan is a vaunted rim protector, our own Harry Lyles agrees: can roll the dice in a half-court setting and task Griffin with that responsibility.

What you DO need, though, is a guy like Jamal Crawford who can get his shot at any time, from any place. Him breaking ankles is only an added bonus.

4. Houston Rockets

James Harden Eric Gordon Ryan Anderson

You know why Houston’s here. Space the floor to clear the paint. Pick your poison: defend James Harden 1-on-1 or give Gordon or Anderson an open look at a 3. Sheesh.

3. San Antonio Spurs

Jonathon Simmons Kawhi Leonard LaMarcus Aldridge

Part of what makes the Spurs so good in 5-on-5 is Gregg Popovich. Most of that game planning goes out the window in a 3-on-3, so it’ll be hard for the Spurs to match up against a superior team.

Still, any time you’ve got Kawhi, you’ve got a shot.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

Kyrie Irving LeBron James Kevin Love

We know why these guys are here.

1. Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry Klay Thompson Kevin Durant

It only took me about four seconds to choose Klay Thompson over Draymond Green here. Why? Because this is a 3-on-3, and I’m not sure Draymond is as important in a half-court pickup game as Klay is.

There you have it. I think the Warriors (surprise) are the most unstoppable team and, if we’re breaking it up by East vs. West, the T’Wolves, Spurs and Rockets are their top competition. In the end, they’re just too versatile of a team with three shooters and two lock-down defenders.

Things in the East are a bit more complicated. It’s hard to bet against LeBron and the Cavaliers, but Giannis’ Bucks are scary, as are the Bulls and even the Knicks. I’m gonna take the Bucks in a game against the Cavs.

That sets the table for Giannis vs. KD, with a bigger Khris Middleton on Steph and Jabari Parker checking Klay Thompson. In my humble opinion, that game could go either way.

Did we get something wrong? Let us know in the comments.

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