Leaving Portland: Dame v. Clyde

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The recent trade demand by Dame Lillard has definitely got me thinking about some of the ancillary issues raised by this kerfuffle.  Dame was seemingly happy in Portland and signed a huge extension in June 2022, at which time, he professed his love for the town and the organization.  After another disappointing season and Portland’s decision to draft his replacement, Scoot Henderson, Dame is not only demanding a trade but has demanded that the only trade partner be Miami.  Let’s … [Read more...] about Leaving Portland: Dame v. Clyde

NBA Finals 2022-23 Wrap Up: Ranking Jokic

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The Nuggets impressive post season run really cements Nikola Jokic in the conversation as an all-time great.  Sure, Jokic was a Hall of Famer even before the 2022-23 season started but there is nothing like a title to get consensus from the guys in the back row.  Let’s delve into a few details of the title run, FAQ style… How impressive was Denver’s run? Denver went 16-4 and was clearly dominant this post season.  Only two other teams in the last two decades have won a title … [Read more...] about NBA Finals 2022-23 Wrap Up: Ranking Jokic

NBA Finals Preview 2022-23

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Another year, another new Finals match up.  The Nuggets against the Heat feels broadly like the 1998-99 Finals redux, where the top seeded Spurs, led by emerging star Tim Duncan played an eight seeded Knicks team that was clearly better than its low seed and featured Latrell Sprewell and Marcus Camby.   In this case, the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic play the role of the Spurs and Duncan.  Like the Spurs, Denver has a great young big man hoping to lead his ABA team to a first NBA … [Read more...] about NBA Finals Preview 2022-23

Playoff Quick Thoughts

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So far, the playoffs have been as unpredictable as any, including the Bubble.  We had a sense that the regular season results would be less predictive than usual but seeing Milwaukee get surprisingly dispatched relatively easily by an eight seed Heat team was surprising to say the least.  Let’s run through some interesting questions from the playoffs so far FAQ-style. How bad was the Bucks’ loss? Any time a one seed loses to an eight seed, the one seed is not covered in … [Read more...] about Playoff Quick Thoughts

NBA Playoffs Preview 2022-23

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Predictions were much easier to make when the Spurs, LeBron Miami, and then the peak Warriors ruled the roost.  On the other hand, I love the wide-open Western Conference where four teams have very plausible cases to win the and a fifth (the Lakers) sort of as well.  In the East, the 76ers and Celtics will have a war for the honor of playing Milwaukee.  Before we get to that, here are the First Round predictions: Eastern Conference 1. Bucks v. Heat:  There is a … [Read more...] about NBA Playoffs Preview 2022-23

The Kings and Offense-Only Playoff Teams

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As we approach the NBA playoff season, the Western Conference is rich with uncertainty.  I thought we could briefly focus on the particular case of the Sacramento Kings.  They are pretty locked into the three seed and have none of the historical baggage of many of the other teams in the conference.  Yet, there is an undercurrent that the Kings offense-only style is not a real threat.  Currently, the Kings are 47-31 (after a bad loss to the Spurs) but the team lacks … [Read more...] about The Kings and Offense-Only Playoff Teams

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