NBA Thread 2020-21

[MuggsyB]

There are so few elite coaches.   It isn't like you can drive down to the CVS, careful not to park in a handicap spot, and find one better.   Budenholzer has a pedigree and a record that indicated he was one of the coaches with the potential to accomplish what he has.   It amuses and amazes me to no end thinking that, God forbid, the Bucks don't finish, there are those who will be calling for the coach to be fired.

No doubt Tower, but after watching the last few games I'm trying to figure out why Portis and Teague literally didn't play vs Brooklyn?  I like what Forbes can do with the 3-Ball but he's been erratic during the playoffs. 

Teague can play the Point and has been around for a long time.  He can move Holiday off the ball when he's in the game and still sort of defend the dribble drive with his quickness.

As far as Portis not playing before?  I have no idea.  This guy was a key contributor all year.  I don't buy the match-ups argument when I look at the players Brooklyn had on the floor. 

The fact is Milwaukee could be significantly better if they weren't so 3-Ball reliant.  They are capable of dominating the paint against anyone.  I look at Phoenix and outside of Ayton they have no size.  Attack Tower, attack.  Get Ayton in foul trouble and pummel the paint.  Assuming Giannis is alright why would you not downhill attack with venom and ferocity?  And Brook Lopez can score as well.  What ever happened to the merciless power game?  I think the Bucks absolutely have a great chance (assuming Giannis is okay) if they heed my advice.   

[cheebs09]

One thing that is kind of nice is that the Suns aren’t filled with a ton of Finals experience. It’s not like they are playing the Warriors or a LeBron team. Crowder was there last year, but this is a pretty new experience for both.

It’s going to be tough cheering against Crowder again. He plays the Bucks well.

[brewcity77]

Indeed, even last night, as the Hawks were cutting into that lead late, the Bucks had a 5-6 possession stretch where either Middleton or Holiday dribbled for 20 seconds before hoisting less-than-optimal shots. A couple went in, a couple of times the Bucks got the rebounds, but it's bad offense and it doesn't speak well of the coaching.

I know people hate prevent style play, and it can bite you, but it wasn't really the problem last night. I mentioned that it was funny seeing them advertise Game 7 when the Bucks were up 22. They cut the lead down, but even then it never felt in doubt.

When you're up that much and taking 20 seconds off the clock, then your opponent takes 20 seconds to get 2 points, it's really hard to come back. Then add in a few stops and productive possessions and it becomes impossible. What the Bucks did was essentially kneel on it and there just wasn't enough time for Atlanta to turn it back.

[MU82]

I know people hate prevent style play, and it can bite you, but it wasn't really the problem last night. I mentioned that it was funny seeing them advertise Game 7 when the Bucks were up 22. They cut the lead down, but even then it never felt in doubt.

When you're up that much and taking 20 seconds off the clock, then your opponent takes 20 seconds to get 2 points, it's really hard to come back. Then add in a few stops and productive possessions and it becomes impossible. What the Bucks did was essentially kneel on it and there just wasn't enough time for Atlanta to turn it back.

Generally agree, but I thought the Bucks started it too soon. I mean, they were only up 10 with 4:45 to go when Middleton hoisted a contested 3 at the shot clock. The lead got down to 6 with 3:41 to go. 6 points with almost 4 minutes left? That's nothing. Holiday made a difficult layup to put it back to 8 and then the Hawks took a couple of stupid shots, but again the Bucks led by only 8 with more than 2 minutes to go when Middleton hoisted another very-low-percentage shot. Luckily for the Bucks, they got the long rebound and then, yes, the strategy became more impossible for Atlanta to overcome.

Minor nit really, though. I'm not a Bucks fan, so I don't get upset on every perceived coaching fault of Budenholzer. As I said, looking at his body of work, it seems he's been a pretty darn good NBA coach.

[reinko]

Rough day for Rachel Nichols

[Herman Cain]

Rough day for Rachel Nichols

https://nypost.com/2021/07/04/rachel-nichols-maria-taylor-diversity-dig-in-secret-espn-video/

[MuggsyB]

As I've stated before with the exception of Tim Legler and Breen, and Van Gundy as well on occasion, the hosts and commentators covering the NBA on ESPN suck for lack of a better word.  No one is tuning in to watch their analysis other than actual live games.  It doesn't matter if it's Maria Taylor, Nichols, SAS, Rose, Woj, Wilbon, or whoever.  These people are pretty much awful and add nothing remotely entertaining to the broadcasts unlike TNT's quartet.  And this has nothing to do with their political drivel, race, or gender.  The question is are they entertaining and fun to watch?  The resounding answer is an emphatic No.

[Jockey]

I know people hate prevent style play, and it can bite you, but it wasn't really the problem last night. I mentioned that it was funny seeing them advertise Game 7 when the Bucks were up 22. They cut the lead down, but even then it never felt in doubt.

When you're up that much and taking 20 seconds off the clock, then your opponent takes 20 seconds to get 2 points, it's really hard to come back. Then add in a few stops and productive possessions and it becomes impossible. What the Bucks did was essentially kneel on it and there just wasn't enough time for Atlanta to turn it back.

My thoughts exactly. Down the stretch I wanted them to use time and get decent shots. Just don’t turn it over. They would make enough of them to stay ahead.

[MU82]

As I've stated before with the exception of Tim Legler and Breen, and Van Gundy as well on occasion, the hosts and commentators covering the NBA on ESPN suck for lack of a better word.  No one is tuning in to watch their analysis other than actual live games.  It doesn't matter if it's Maria Taylor, Nichols, SAS, Rose, Woj, Wilbon, or whoever.  These people are pretty much awful and add nothing remotely entertaining to the broadcasts unlike TNT's quartet.  And this has nothing to do with their political drivel, race, or gender.  The question is are they entertaining and fun to watch?  The resounding answer is an emphatic No.

Adrian Wojnarowski is one of the best reporters on any beat in the entire country. He often is the first to break NBA news, and that makes him very valuable to ESPN, who paid big bucks to steal him from Yahoo Sports. He doesn't try to "entertain." He is a just-the-facts reporter, and does a great job. Lumping him in with Stephen A. Smith and sideline reporters would be like lumping Springsteen in with Hilary Duff and Lil Wayne because they're all singers.

Rachel used to be a newspaper reporter, did a good job covering hockey and other stuff for the Washington Post about 20 years ago. She has been one of ESPN's better interviewers. But this is a horrific situation for her and she might have trouble surviving it at the network.

Wilbon's a good guy and used to be a good columnist for the Washington Post, but he's now a TV personality. I normally don't like TV shows where people scream at each other -- never liked Springer, or Maury, can't stand Around the Horn, etc -- but I admit that PTI is a guilty pleasure that I watch a couple times a week.

Sideline reporters in general have a bad job. They are paid well, so it's not bad in that respect. But they are expected to interview coaches who don't want to be interviewed in the middle of games, and they rarely are able to get anything insightful. It's not necessarily their fault. I mean, Pedro Gomez was a very good reporter, he just wasn't a good sideline reporter because there is no such thing really.

[MuggsyB]

You're right that Woj is the first to break stories, good for him.  He's not a TV NBA analyst.  As for the rest of them?  They generally fall under the same category.  No one is watching ESPN to hear their opinions and beyond that they aren't remotely entertaining.  On the flipside people care about EJ and the TNT crew because they have great chemistry and are hilarious.  They get the entertainment component of their job.   It's actually embarrassing to watch ESPN with their wooden and laconic personalities try to emulate them.  They can't and it's as clear as crystal.

[CountryRoads]

Rough day for Rachel Nichols

I’m not her biggest fan, but after reading the quotes…yikes there’s not much to this story that warrants grabbing the pitchforks. Really grabbing at straws with this one, but I guess that’s what you get when the demand for this type of story is so incredibly high. If anything, ESPN should be the ones answering for their lack of diversity in hiring or career opportunities as she alleges.

[JWags85]

I’m not her biggest fan, but after reading the quotes…yikes there’s not much to this story that warrants grabbing the pitchforks. Really grabbing at straws with this one, but I guess that’s what you get when the demand for this type of story is so incredibly high. If anything, ESPN should be the ones answering for their lack of diversity in hiring or career opportunities as she alleges.

Fully agree.  It’s a bad look, but I was expecting MUCH worse when I saw the reactions this morning.  She’s an “alpha” female who has climbed to a high rank in a very competitive cutthroat industry at a company who has a pretty terrible track record for women and minorities.  My read was her frustration was more with ESPN and them having no clue what they are doing than some racially fueled anger at Maria Taylor.  She frankly was fairly complementary to Taylor unprompted.

I asked the opinion on it if one of my good friends, who is black and actually a member of a diversity council at his large publicly traded company, and he said he thought it registered as a non issue of sorts for him, at least racially, and much of what I mentioned above is echoing his take

People comparing it to Jackie McMullen’s brutal quotes about Kyrie a few years ago are missing the mark IMO

[rocket surgeon]

https://nypost.com/2021/07/04/rachel-nichols-maria-taylor-diversity-dig-in-secret-espn-video/

someone was keeping some powder dry.  according to the article, this conversation was recorded last july...

[MU82]

Fully agree.  It’s a bad look, but I was expecting MUCH worse when I saw the reactions this morning.  She’s an “alpha” female who has climbed to a high rank in a very competitive cutthroat industry at a company who has a pretty terrible track record for women and minorities.  My read was her frustration was more with ESPN and them having no clue what they are doing than some racially fueled anger at Maria Taylor.  She frankly was fairly complementary to Taylor unprompted.

I asked the opinion on it if one of my good friends, who is black and actually a member of a diversity council at his large publicly traded company, and he said he thought it registered as a non issue of sorts for him, at least racially, and much of what I mentioned above is echoing his take

People comparing it to Jackie McMullen’s brutal quotes about Kyrie a few years ago are missing the mark IMO

I hope you're right.

[MU82]

Rachel Nichols apologized on air today at the start of The Jump. Sitting beside her, Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson voiced their support for both her and Maria Taylor.

So Wags, you were right.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Fully agree.  It’s a bad look, but I was expecting MUCH worse when I saw the reactions this morning.  She’s an “alpha” female who has climbed to a high rank in a very competitive cutthroat industry at a company who has a pretty terrible track record for women and minorities.  My read was her frustration was more with ESPN and them having no clue what they are doing than some racially fueled anger at Maria Taylor.  She frankly was fairly complementary to Taylor unprompted.

I asked the opinion on it if one of my good friends, who is black and actually a member of a diversity council at his large publicly traded company, and he said he thought it registered as a non issue of sorts for him, at least racially, and much of what I mentioned above is echoing his take

People comparing it to Jackie McMullen’s brutal quotes about Kyrie a few years ago are missing the mark IMO

I think ESPN is quickly fixing this before the Finals starts.  And Nichols likely has some good points about ESPN and her frustrations.  But saying or implying that any under-represented population got a job because of "diversity" is a horribly insulting thing to do.

[JWags85]

I think ESPN is quickly fixing this before the Finals starts.  And Nichols likely has some good points about ESPN and her frustrations.  But saying or implying that any under-represented population got a job because of "diversity" is a horribly insulting thing to do.

I don't disagree and I think its a terrible look for Nichols regardless.  As I mentioned, I just don't think it was a racist/dislike of Taylor or other minorities as much as a tantrum against ESPN.

[MU82]

Giannis upgraded to questionable. Do you do that if he’s not playing?

Either way, I’m going with the Suns in the series. They’re better and healthier.

Would be happy to be wrong, though, because I’ve come to really like the Bucks. (Not that I dislike the Suns, especially Jae.)

[MUfan12]

Between Jae and Monty Williams, if there was anyone else I'd want to win it, it would be the Suns.

That said, I hope I don't have to see that happen.

[Billy Hoyle]

I don't disagree and I think its a terrible look for Nichols regardless.  As I mentioned, I just don't think it was a racist/dislike of Taylor or other minorities as much as a tantrum against ESPN.

it was someone upset that something she worked for and was contracted to do was being taken away from her. Now Taylor is in her chair, and one of Taylor's hack proteges is on the sidelines, and Nichols is completely pushed out. So basically ESPN is validating what Nichols said and they're going to be forced to give Taylor the $8 million a year she's now publically demanding.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Woj reports Giannis is a go for game 1. Giddy up!

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

it was someone upset that something she worked for and was contracted to do was being taken away from her. Now Taylor is in her chair, and one of Taylor's hack proteges is on the sidelines, and Nichols is completely pushed out. So basically ESPN is validating what Nichols said and they're going to be forced to give Taylor the $8 million a year she's now publically demanding.

How is ESPN validating what Nichols said?  Maybe they just think she’s better.

[forgetful]

Woj reports Giannis is a go for game 1. Giddy up!

I hope he is as close to 100% as possible, otherwise I think I'd rather him get there and then return in game 2.

[JWags85]

Interesting, given our discussions of guys leaving school early to get to the NBA by any number of routes, the Suns have 2 key rotation guys, Crowder and Cam Johnson, who both transferred and used up their eligibility in college before being drafted and turning 23 before they ever played a game.

Jevon Carter and that bum Kaminsky fit the bill as well, but they don’t play.

[wadesworld]

I don’t know what this defensive scheme is. There are times that Suns players aren’t even setting a screen, just crossing paths with one another and the Bucks are switching it. You might as well let the Suns tell the Bucks who their defensive matchups are. At least that way the defender isn’t standing flat footed trying to pick up a moving ball handler.