NBA Finals Preview: Suns v. Bucks

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The 2020-21 NBA playoffs have been a battle of attrition.  Getting a Bucks/Suns Finals would’ve been considered a reasonable prediction outcome at the start of the playoffs.  How we actually got here was not anticipated.  Milwaukee dodged a few bullets against the Nets due to some untimely injuries (but, yes, Milwaukee played well when it had to).  Phoenix has been consistently pretty good but each team they have faced so far has had to deal with major injuries to key players … [Read more...] about NBA Finals Preview: Suns v. Bucks

Rick Carlisle: Can You Go Home Again?

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The Pacers recent hiring of Rick Carlisle as coach fascinates me.  By all accounts, he’s a pretty good coach and, divorced of any backstory, his hiring by the Pacers is totally rational.  He’s a seasoned professional on a team that has struggled to get the most out of relatively solid talent.  What interests me is the fact that Carlisle is a prodigal son returning to town. By way of quick backstory, Carlisle had an interesting prior reign in Indiana.  In 2003, he was hired … [Read more...] about Rick Carlisle: Can You Go Home Again?

Game 7 Preview: Nets/Bucks

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Is it possible that the most anticipated game of this playoff season will be played in the Second Round?  It’s not a foregone conclusion but there is a good chance that tonight’s Bucks/Nets Game 7 will be the NBA champ.  This Game 7 will be, perhaps, the most consequential game of the playoffs.  At the moment, the Nets are pegged as very slight favorites by the odds makers.   Let’s run through this game FAQ style to see if we agree… Has this actually been a good … [Read more...] about Game 7 Preview: Nets/Bucks

Revisiting the Seikaly/Utah Fiasco

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I was recently thinking about the complaints that some fans (and writers) have that NBA players are wielding too much power in choosing a path to their preferred team and/or making super teams.  With the possibility that Damian Lillard may force his way elsewhere, the drumbeat has gotten louder.  In fact, Charles Barkley has gone on the record as rooting against the Nets because he doesn’t like super teams.  This latest talk about player/owner leverage balance reminded of the … [Read more...] about Revisiting the Seikaly/Utah Fiasco

Playoff Quick Thoughts (West Edition)

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Let’s continue with Part 2 of our First Round review, the Western Conference (Part 1 can be found here)…. -Jazz v. Grizzlies:  The Grizzlies have hung tough but are down 2-1, despite shocking the Jazz by beating top seeded Utah in the first game.  That got me wondering how often a top NBA seed has dropped Game 1 of a First Round series and what happened thereafter.  We will limit the inquiry a bit to span from 2002-03, when the NBA changed the First Round to the seven game … [Read more...] about Playoff Quick Thoughts (West Edition)

Playoff Quick Thoughts (East Edition)

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We missed a formal playoff preview this year so, instead, let’s jump into some quick thoughts for each playoff series and do our usual feature about the last time each team met in the playoffs.  Today, we will do the East today and the West shortly after…. -76ers v. Wizards:  As anticipated, the 76ers handled the Wiz relatively easily at home (Game 1 was competitive but Game 2 was decidedly not).  The 76ers stars have been dominant and Tobias Harris’ great start bodes well for … [Read more...] about Playoff Quick Thoughts (East Edition)

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