Tag: NBA

Three ways Edwards can go from very good to elite

Calling the Timberwolves star the “Face of the NBA” is exaggerated, but it doesn’t mean he can’t get there

In today’s world of sports, there aren’t too many leagues that market their stars like the NBA does. For so long, the league has had LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant (among others) being the marquee players to lean on, with James having the “Face of the NBA” title for the majority of the time he’s played. As those players enter the twilight of their careers, the media and fans are longing for a fresh face, with Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward Anthony Edwards getting a big push for the crown. As much as people want to give Edwards this title, it has to be earned, not given, and judging off of how things have ended for Minnesota the last two seasons (getting sacked in the Western Conference finals in five games), details show there’s a long way to go before he can be recognized as someone the rest of the league can follow. Having said that, the assumption is there’s plenty of time to grow, as Edwards is only 23-years-old. Even with that in his favor, it’s hard to see much improvement if he can’t make a few aspects a bigger part of his game. With the depth of the conference, there’s no guarantee of team success, but improving on these things should give Edwards and the Timberwolves a better chance.

More Consistency On Defense

With the raw athletic talent Edwards is blessed with, he has the ability to be one of the best on-ball defenders in the NBA, and glimpses of that potential has shown on the court. An example of this was seen in Game 3 of the conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. With Minnesota down 2-0 in the series, they needed a spark from their star player, and Edwards accomplished that by putting pressure on the Thunder ball handlers, which led to creating turnovers and fast break buckets. The issue is it’s not consistent, and like many of the ball-dominant players in basketball, Edwards is guarding someone who isn’t the other team’s best offensive player, in an attempt to rest on the defensive end. While defense is more of an afterthought these days, the fact still remains this is the part of the game that should never slack. If Edwards is the leader and franchise player, he’ll have to understand everyone else on the team follows his lead. If he’s not bringing energy, that can (and probably will) rub off on his teammates. Setting the tone on defense brings positive energy, and that must become closer to the norm if the best version of Edwards is going to show.

Mid-Range, Mid-Range, Mid-Range

It’s understood analytics says the three-pointer and layup are the best ways to score, but the proven product, no matter what statistics say or the era basketball is played in, is the mid-range game. So much of the offense can open up with an efficient, 15 to 17-foot jumper. Edwards hasn’t really shown the ability to operate from the mid-range, and because of that, his game becomes boom or bust. Sure, Edwards led the NBA in three-pointers made this season (320), and have games where he hit seven or eight of them, but there are also contests where he goes 1-9 from deep (Game 2 of the WCF). If Edwards is looking for someone he can look at as an example of what a mid-range game can open up, the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is available. All Gilgeous-Alexander did is win the league-MVP this year, and everything he does originates from the mid-range. Simply put, players can be successful without listening to what analytics say, and there hasn’t been many players who went wrong with having a consistent arsenal from in-between the three-point stripe and the basket.

Move Without The Ball

So many of the players in today’s game are ball-dominant, meaning the ball has to be in their hands if they’re going to have the most impact on the game. What makes Curry unique (and lethal at the same time) is he’s just as dangerous moving without the ball as he is with the ball in his possession. Most of these ball-dominant players will pass the ball, only to stand at the same spot he just gave the ball up from, expecting to get it right back. Edwards isn’t quite that bad, but this is an area that can use improvement. The Timberwolves do have other players who can operate the offense and handle the ball. While this could look good schematically, Edwards would have to turn that responsibility over and trust the adjustment. While he is dynamic in getting to his spots, the teams Minnesota plays against know that also, and they’re going to have defenses designed to get the ball out of Edwards’ hands. So often, it comes down to who can stay a step ahead of their opponent, and creating opportunities for others with movement would be a great counter.

Bonus: Stop Complaining!

Breaking news: Society loves to complain about damn near everything, and the NBA is no different in that regard. For Edwards, this is true on two fronts. The first involves him voicing his displeasure about seeing double-teams. He’ll have to realize he’s not even close to the first player to see multiple defenders, and he won’t be the last. The great players were able to deal with those coverages and figure it out. Edwards, if he wants to reach the elite level, will have to do the same. The second front is, well, what everyone complains about, officiating. For anyone who has watched Timberwolves games lately, there aren’t a lot of minutes that go by without hearing Edwards complain about a “missed” call, or one that went against him. As hard as this is to do for most people altogether, he has to find away to get the officiating out of his focus, and concentrate on the things that are in his control. Getting tied up with the refs doesn’t benefit anyone involved, and the constant complaining won’t change anything. Just play ball, and the rest will take care of itself.

These four steps could help Edwards get to a place where he’s the next face of the league, but all of them are on the court, during games. The most important step is what happens off the court, which is a change in his mindset. He’ll have to learn being athletic and working on just offense isn’t enough. What separates the good from the elite is the mental part, and the ability to play chess, when others are playing checkers. Again, all of this is being said with the understanding Edwards is only 23. So there is time, and he is already pretty good as it is. Now, it’s time to take the next steps, those that are critical for Minnesota’s and his success going forward. Then, and only then, would conversations of Edwards being the new face have substance.

Bucks coaching fiasco latest example of crumbling under expectations

Apparently, having one of the best records in the NBA isn’t enough for a head coach’s job security these days

It’s understood the NFL is king when it comes to the talking points, and plenty of time will be spent previewing the Super Bowl in short order. Meanwhile, stuff is happening in the other leagues, and there’s one topic that definitely came and stayed in the radar. It involves the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, and their decision to fire first-year head coach Adrian Griffin after (only) 43 games. The factors as to why the Bucks made this move, at this point in the regular season, will be discussed in a little bit. Just know situations like this point to a larger issue when it comes to the pressures of trying to produce winning results quick, fast and in a hurry. Such expectations can lead to executives in front offices everywhere to misunderstand the personnel they have, and horrible lapses in judgment altogether.

Let’s start with this stat. At the time, Milwaukee sat at 30-13, good enough for second in the Eastern Conference (behind the Boston Celtics). In and of itself, that record should have had the Bucks feeling great about hiring Griffin to replace Mike Budenholzer, who coached Milwaukee to an NBA title in 2021. As stated earlier, expectations are to get back to the top of the mountain again, and frankly, the Bucks should believe they can hang another championship banner. Above everything else, they have a perennial MVP-candidate in Giannis Antetokounmpo, and they traded to bring Damian Lillard, who is one of the league’s most potent scorers, to help assist. When a squad has those assets, it’s easy to see where a head coach could crumble under the weight of the pressure, especially one in his inaugural season. Based off of the record, Griffin was doing a good job, but apparently, not good enough. So why the sudden change to fire him? According to reports, the way Milwaukee was playing defensively was a chief reason, ranking 24th in points allowed per game this season. In back-to-back contests against the Detroit Pistons, the Bucks gave up 135 and 113 points, respectively. The Pistons have the NBA’s worst record at 6-43. Griffin would become the fall guy because of these struggles, but there are reasons to believe other factors contribute to the lack of defense.

The first factor is nobody in the league plays defense anymore, especially in the regular season. For context, the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are in a four-way tie for first in the Western Conference, lead the league in points allowed per game at 107.1. Years ago, that total might have been last in the NBA, but now, it’s a miracle if a team is held under 100 points after three quarters. The second factor is the Bucks’ roster isn’t one that’s built to stop anyone. Besides Antetkounmpo, anyone who had something like a defensive mentality went out the door with the Lillard trade, and all of the scoring punch the guard brings is equaled by his defensive liabilities. In other words, it shouldn’t surprise anyone Milwaukee is bad defensively, regardless of who the head coach is. It’s understood the NBA is a league that’s player-driven, which means they will get the benefit of the doubt in most cases when teams have rifts. With that said, it makes it too easy to blame other factors as to why strife is occurring, and the head coach is the one who becomes the sacrificial lamb.

So who did the Bucks decide to bring in as Griffin’s replacement? None other than Doc Rivers, of course. After all, it would make sense to bring in a guy who was a team consultant while working on the lead commentary team for ESPN (sounds dirty). At any rate, maybe things can be different in Milwaukee, but there’s not many reasons to believe this would be the case. Rivers was just fired by the Philadelphia 76ers at the end of last year, and has been the head coach of teams that have blown numerous series leads in the playoffs, including last season’s 3-2 advantage to the Celtics in the East semifinals. There was a time where Rivers was considered one of the best coaches in the NBA, and some may still have that view. Now, it’s harder by the day to continue living off of the title he won as Boston’s head coach in 2008, especially when every place he’s been to afterwards has been left in dysfunction when the time to part ways came. Frankly, having Rivers replace Griffin says Milwaukee is caving in under the pressure to win now.

Nobody knows the true reason(s) why the Bucks let Griffin go, except the people within the organization. If the team’s lack of defense was a main reason why, then it might be fair to say every coach in the league should be on the hot seat. For Milwaukee, the record since Griffin was fired on Jan. 23 is 3-5, and opponents haven’t scored less than 112 points in any of those games. Unless Rivers has some sort of secret to magically fix the squad’s lack of defense, many of the same problems will persist, and the Bucks will find themselves falling short of those lofty expectations. At that point, maybe the front office will look at the players, and find these are problems (by their own creation) a coach can’t necessarily fix with schemes alone. Time will tell, but at this moment, it appears Griffin got a raw deal.

Exploring why the NBA regular season has lost its luster

The In-Season Tournament provides a boost, but a lull between the conclusion and the playoffs loom large

More than ever, the regular season in many of the world’s major sports leagues have decreased in terms of importance. From the players to the fans, the priority is to make it to playoff action, and let the chips fall where they may. The decaying value may not be any more prevalent than it is in the NBA, where it’s almost considered a crime if a player (let alone a star player) comes close to playing in all 82 regular season games. That, combined with a style of play that has made defense optional, and a product that is close to unwatchable becomes the result. It’s become so bad, commissioner Adam Silver knew he had to do something in an attempt to remedy the problem, and alas, the In-Season Tournament (won by the Los Angeles Lakers) is born. After assessing the results, it’s time to look into why this point was reached, the after effects of the tournament and where things go from here.

When it comes to the league’s devalued regular season, one of the main reasons people love to point the finger at is load management. This isn’t to say resting players wasn’t happening before this, but the San Antonio Spurs started a trend when they chose selected games to sit aging starts like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in the early to mid-2010s. The goal was to make sure they were healthy for the playoff run, and the action resulted in the Spurs making back-to-back runs to the NBA Finals in 2013 and ’14 (winning it all in the latter year). Since then, many other teams have adapted the strategy for numerous reasons, even if it means shutting down players for trade and draft considerations. Nowadays, 65 or 70 games played for a star player is considered a miracle, and there’s no indication of that trend changing anytime soon. It’s never a good sign when the competitive balance of a league is in question, and the problem is particularly glaring in the NBA. Yes, MLB and the NHL have equally long seasons (in terms of months played), but the star players are likely to play more often than not. The NFL has less games to play, but you can count on them to be in action unless injuries keep them out. The opposite has become the norm in basketball.

Along with load management, the quality and style of play is mentioned as a reason why the league’s regular season isn’t as pleasant on the eyes and ears. At the risk of sounding like the old head, the days of tough defense seem to be long gone, and players get thrown out if there’s even a hint of a hard foul. The combination of rule changes and the want by many to see more offense equals point totals that are astronomic. Final scores of 130 to 120 are now the normal instead of the exception, and it’s surprising if a team, or both, don’t have 100 points after three quarters of action. In other words, the games in the regular season aren’t too much better than glorified scrimmages and shoot arounds, and the product has become close to cringeworthy. This isn’t to take away from the skill these players have on offense, but the defense is more about getting the points back on the other end than taking the challenge and actually stopping somebody.

It’s one thing to point out problems, but what are the solutions? We knew there were (and still are) issues with tanking, and the NBA decided to introduce the Play-In Tournament in response. Like anything else in life, the playoff tease has its detractors, but it has worked to generate more excitement and more importantly, lessen the amount of giving up on the season. Viewership in the regular season is the next issue, which is a problem simply because football (both the NFL and college) is clearly the elephant that blocks the sight for everything else. At the earliest, the league’s Christmas showcase, when there are five nationally televised games in a row, is when any bit of interest in the season begins. By bringing the IST into existence, they can at least take advantage of the nights football isn’t on as much, and give incentive for the players to hold off (for a little bit) on load management. From all indications, the tournament checked all of the boxes for success, and if the way some of the courts looked is the most fans can complain about, it’s safe to say good reviews are aplenty.

So what happens next? There are reports the NBA is looking at ways to improve upon the first IST. Maybe the league can start the tournament a little later, with the final potentially taking place on Christmas Day. The first month of the season is used by many players to start getting into playing shape, and for that reason, it’s understood why the NBA wanted to have the dates they chose to hold the invitational. Maybe they could hold another one before the All-Star Break, with the trade deadline looming. Some people say the IST is a gimmick , but in the soccer world, the tournaments during the season have been a rousing success. It’s good to see the NBA is willing to try something new. They saw a problem, and they’re trying to solve it. Best believe, the other leagues in North America are watching, and if the success continues for basketball, don’t be surprised if there are copycats that follow.

Why Lillard trade demand may signal a change in philosophy for NBA franchises

Business can be messy, and it might become even more so in the future

We all know the way the NBA works these days. More than any other league, the players are the ones who ultimately hold the power more often than not. It’s common to see stars sign long-term deals with their current teams, only to request a trade when a no-win situation stays that way a year later (or maybe in shorter time than that). So it probably shouldn’t be much of a surprise to hear point guard Damian Lillard wants to be traded away from the Portland Trail Blazers, with the Miami Heat being the preferred destination. We’ll get into the specifics of how we got here in a moment, but just remember it’s okay for multiple things to be true at the same time, even if society wants to dictate right or wrong.

Let’s start with the facts in this matter. In an era where players staying with the original team that drafted them has become a thing of the past, Lillard is the anomaly in the equation. The now 33-year-old guard out of Weber State has played all 11 of his professional seasons with the Trail Blazers, so it’s not like loyalty has been an issue. With that said, Portland has paid a pretty penny to keep him there. Lillard signed a two-year, $121.77 million extension (according to Spotrac) to stay in the Pacific Northwest until the end of the 2026-27 season. That’s almost a $61 million average over those two seasons, and that’s just the latest of the big money deals the Trail Blazers have given Lillard during his stay. Career earnings for the guard sits at almost $234 million, and that will almost double by the time the extension is done. People will do what they want with these facts, but there’s cases to be made for both sides in using them.

About those opinions, as is the case with just about anything these days, those are going in a variety of directions. On the Lillard side, they would say it’s about time he demanded a trade, and Portland owes it to him to send him where he wants to go. On the Trail Blazers end, the consensus is they need to do the best deal to benefit the team, not the player, and they have paid Lillard more than enough to reward the loyalty. The reality is Portland should do a deal that’s going to help them going forward, and if Lillard is going to demand leaving after signing deals, they don’t have any obligation to make him happy with where they trade him to. Lillard is also within his rights to demand going elsewhere, and with the NBA being one of the more player-driven leagues, it’s logical to think he’ll ultimately get what he wants. If winning is what Lillard is about, it’s no secret that wasn’t going to happen at a high level in Portland, and instead of getting to free agency, he chose to extend and stay. This isn’t an attempt to criticize him for his loyalty, it’s simply pointing out what a lot of people already figured, and if Lillard is going to have that much money paid to him, it’s hard to get players to build around him. Therefore, if he supposed to be that player many believe he is, Lillard should be able to elevate the Trail Blazers (or any team he’s on) to a championship level. We all know that hasn’t happened, and the trade request looks like an attempt to get out of a dire situation Lillard had a hand in creating, at least to some.

Now, the question is what happens from here. Most believe a trade to the Heat will be completed at some point, whether that becomes a three or four-team deal, or not. If and when that happens, one might wonder if this starts to change the way contracts are structured in the NBA. As it currently stands, the longest deals are four or five years, depending on a player deciding if he wants to stay with the team he previously played for. Are there more deals, particularly for star players, that are two-year deals with the option for the second season? Constantly, the masses are told it’s worth the investment to keep a star player as long as possible, but what’s the point if said player isn’t willing to stay for the duration of the deal, especially if things don’t go as planned? It’s a real question teams will seemingly have to ask themselves for the future. Every year is its own story, and there aren’t many teams that stay exactly the same from the year prior. Times have evolved, and teams might not have much choice but to adjust with them.

It should never be a question about being honest, but if we’re in the business of doing so, Lillard is far from the first to want out after signing a long-term deal with a franchise. He’s just the latest in a lengthy line that includes Kevin Durant and James Harden (among others). Players should be able to get what they feel their value is worth, and be at a place where they know they would be happy. If they’re going to pursue that, sacrifice will be required, and it could come in the form of not having a good team capable of winning big around them. When things go haywire, trying to catch the first thing going out the door can’t be the answer. It should be as simple as playing out the contract, then make the decision to stay or go. Of course, it wouldn’t be right if it wasn’t more complicated than that, and such is life in the NBA. We’ll see how the Lillard saga plays out, but don’t be surprised if the grass isn’t greener on the other side for the longtime Trail Blazer.

With each passing day, narratives continue to get worse

Just when we think the highest level of buffoonery is reached, people are there to prove us wrong

In life, everyone has an opinion, and changes in narratives almost equal the amount of viewpoints. It’s all subjective who is believable or not, but no matter what side of the equation one is on, there’s no arguing with hard facts. Despite that, there are many who will try, due to the fear of having to admit they’re wrong about something. Therefore, it’s time to crush the garbage narratives that are (or was) out there about a few players, using the NBA Finals as the basis. Before we dive in, it’s keenly understood basketball is a team sport, and nobody can win championship or other awards by themselves. With that said, the culture is one that loves to look at what individuals are doing, especially when it comes to discussing anything best of. So because of said culture, let’s embrace instead of fight against, and do a deeper dive into the cesspool of word salad.

Let’s start with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who just led the club to their first ever league title, and won the NBA Finals MVP in the process. Before this season, Jokic won the previous two regular season MVP awards, asserting his status as one of the best players in the world. It’s hard to please everybody, but the narratives that came Jokic’s way is comical and sad at the same time. We had people saying he was “stat-padding,” and the awards he won were due to some sort of a racial bias supporting international players. We even have many saying Jokic should not have won the MVPs because the Nuggets didn’t have much postseason success in those two seasons, despite the fact the playoffs have nothing to do with the voting. Objectively speaking, Jokic has been a great player for a while in the NBA, long before he was an MVP candidate. What happened this season is the casual fan (and the haters who support these claims) got to see the 28-year-old center do what he’s been doing on a national and worldwide spotlight. With an NBA title now under his belt, there isn’t much for people to hate on, and the ironic thing is Jokic didn’t win the regular season MVP award this year (that went to Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid). To those people who said Jokic didn’t deserve those MVPs, does that mean Embiid doesn’t deserve his, since the 76ers blew a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics? This isn’t intended to be a campaign for Jokic, but if we’re in the business of looking at things fairly, let’s do so. It’s understood that probably won’t happen, but Jokic has done more than enough to make the case.

Staying with Denver, let’s discuss the narrative surrounding Jokic’s teammate and potent sidekick, guard Jamal Murray. Before discussing Murray in detail, let’s remember what he had to endure to get back to playing at a superstar level. On April 12, 2021, Murray tore the ACL in his left knee, and missed the next two postseasons due to the injury. Even this season, there were worries about his durability going forward, with questions surrounding if he would be fully available for the Nuggets’ title run. As we now know, Murray was arguably the second best player in the playoffs behind the aforementioned Jokic. With that in mind, the narrative on what the 26-year-old did during Denver’s run being a surprise is beyond wild. When Murray is right, he’s one of the games best scoring threats. In the playoff bubble closing out the COVID-plagued 2020 season, he had two 50-point games and the same number of 40-point games. With Murray suffering the torn-ACL, the guess is many forgot how good he is capable of being, but if people are historians of basketball like they claim to be, the performance the guard put on shouldn’t be much of a surprise. It also verifies how good Denver is when they have their two stars playing together. The last time Murray was healthy for the playoffs (prior to this year), the Nuggets made it to the Western Conference Finals. The proof says he can play with anyone in the league, and put up big numbers doing it. For those who forgot, Murray properly reminded them.

For the final case of trash narratives, let’s go to Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler. In general, the Heat are an interesting case. On one hand, Miami was the eighth and final seed in the East, barely getting into the dance after surviving the play-in tournament. They turned the birth into an improbable run to the NBA Finals before losing to Denver in five games. On the other hand, this is primarily the same squad that has advanced to at least the Eastern Conference Finals three of the last four seasons (twice making it to the NBA Finals). Knowing that bit of info might make one believe the Heat’s run shouldn’t be a shock, but it would be logical to think otherwise given how bad Miami looked at times. One thing that has been consistent is the play of Butler, and that reaches another level come playoff time. Bottom line, the Heat are nowhere close to this level without Butler’s leadership and energy, but losing brings criticism and narratives that weren’t even thought of the day before. Now, questions about being whether or not Butler can be the best player on a championship team are simmering. Remember when everyone was praising “Heat Culture?” Those praises have disappeared into the Rocky Mountain air. Taking the big picture view, it’s a minor miracle Butler and Miami have been as successful as they have been. They have never had the most talent, but it’s hard to match them in consistent effort and passion. Even still, people have to make up narratives to fill blocks on the debate shows that cover the airwaves.

Jokic, Murray and Butler are not the first people to find themselves in the narrative cesspool, and they definitely won’t be the last. No matter how hard someone may try to avoid them, opinions will be out there, left to be found in some way, shape or form. All of that is fine, but let’s at least be sensible and objective about the views. Nowadays, it’s easy to wonder if the ones who paint these narratives even believe what they’re saying, or is it all about selling hot takes in an attempt to maximize click bait. These three players don’t need me to have their backs at all, but it does feel good to call the BS out in their favor.

It’s time for the game show that’s taking over the sports world

These teams face many questions after getting eliminated from the NBA’s conference semifinals.

In sports, every team has stuff they have to address after a season of games. Some have more questions to answer than others, but the goal is to be in the best position to compete for a title in the next campaign. For teams in the NBA, there seems to be a point where those decisions hit a critical stage, and that’s if said team is eliminated from the playoffs after the conference semifinals. With that in mind, it’s time to play “Run It Back or Break It Up?,” the game where we decide whether the squad in question is better off keeping things together for another run, or blowing things up to start over. There are four teams who have major evaluations to conduct after being bounced out. As this game moves on, I’ll decide what I think should happen with the clubs going forward (your feedback is strongly encouraged as well). Without further or do, it’s time to introduce the contestants:

New York Knicks

If we are to listen to Knicks fans and a good amount of the media outlets in the northeast, they would have us believe the sky is falling with their team, and losing to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in six games could certainly qualify for a disappointing finish. The reality is not many people had New York getting to this point in the first place, and until the team started to make moves in the regular season, they were seen as somewhat of a laughing stock. After signing point guard Jalen Brunson to a long-term contract last summer, large numbers of NBA followers (including myself) questioned why the Knicks would make such a move. Brunson would go on to give a resounding answer why he was brought to NYC, forcing some of those naysayers to call the acquisition the best signing of the year. In other words, there’s more reason to be optimistic than pessimistic in New York.

Having said that, there are hard choices for the Knicks to make if they want to continue the ascension. They found a gem in Brunson, but the rest of the roster has shown significant chunks of inconsistent play, particularly forwards Julius Randle and RJ Barrett. To answer the question, I believe they should run it back with a couple of caveats. Barrett caught a lot of criticism from the masses, and it was much deserved based on his poor shooting against the Heat. From my evaluation, he looked like a player who lost confidence, and the moments got the best of him. If there’s a next time at this stage, Barrett should be better prepared. The other caveat has to do with Randle, because there’s rumblings about trading the league’s Most Improved Player in 2021. That’s an option, but who would be the other trade partner? Of course, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has been mentioned as a potential target, but that wouldn’t come cheap. A trade for Lillard would probably gut the team of any depth they had before a potential deal, resulting in more heartache for the Knicks and their fans. All that considered, it’s probably best for New York to stay intact for now.

Decision: Run It Back

Philadelphia 76ers

Unlike the expectations for the Knicks, the 76ers were looked at as a team that could take the next step, with that being an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals. Up until a few days ago, there was reason to believe that would happen. Philly had the newly-crowned MVP in center Joel Embiid, a former MVP in guard James Harden that showed signs of that form, and they had a 3-2 series lead over the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics with a closeout opportunity at home. That’s when disaster struck, as the 76ers collapsed in the fourth quarter of Game 6, and followed that up with a blowout loss in Game 7. The more things change, the more they stay the same, and in this case, it’s Philly who once again came up short at the most critical moment.

So where do the 76ers go from here? The answer to that is anyone’s guess, but here’s what we do know. Under the watch of head coach Doc Rivers, this is the third straight season the team has went out in the conference semifinals, and Embiid should no longer get a pass on the blame (that’s for the people who want to find other places point fingers). He and Harden have a detailed history of disappearing over and over again, and it’s apparent this current batch of players has reached the ceiling. Therefore, it’s probably time to see another shift in strategy for Philly, and judging off of Tuesday’s move to relieve Rivers from his head coaching duties, the 76ers agree with this settlement. Don’t be surprised is Harden is the next to leave. In fact, Embiid and guard Tyrese Maxey are probably the only ones who would probably be considered “untouchable,” and everyone else is for sale. I don’t know if this is still considered part of the “Trust The Process” era, but the time to end the whole thing has arrived, and is probably overdue.

Decision: Break It Up

Phoenix Suns

Before diving into the state of the Suns, lets give full disclosures. Phoenix was already on the way to a steep decline. Back in 2021, they had a 2-0 lead on the Milwaukee Bucks before losing four straight in the NBA Finals. When that occurred, the feeling that ran through my thought process was this group of Suns players would never have as good of a title opportunity as they had at that moment. Yes, Phoenix had the best regular season record in the league the next season, but imploded in a lifeless Game 7 loss at home to the Dallas Mavericks in the semifinals. With the team feeling desperate for a championship, the Suns decided to go all-in, trading with the Brooklyn Nets to acquire forward Kevin Durant. The result was a big four that added Durant to the trio of Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton, but not much else behind that. The lack of depth and defense was exposed in their loss to the Denver Nuggets in this year’s conference semifinals. Yes, I know Paul was injured (which is the case most playoff runs), and Ayton missed Game 6, but there’s not much reason to believe that would have made a difference in the result.

The other disclosure is there’s an understanding Phoenix doesn’t have much choice but to Run It Back, because they’re pretty much stuck with what they have. There are no assets to trade, and not much money to bring free agents in. That doesn’t mean the Suns aren’t trying to change things, and the release of head coach Monty Williams verifies that. Whoever takes Williams’ place won’t have much to work with. Durant and Paul will be a year older, and they have already shown signs of gassing out during the playoffs. Maybe Ayton can start to show more signs of dominance, but it’s questionable where the hope of that happening is. This is my way of saying it’s probably better for Phoenix to tear down, but because of the top-end talent they do possess, they’ll believe they have a chance to bring a title to the desert.

Decision: Break It Up (but I know they’ll Run It Back)

Golden State Warriors

Out of the four teams being discussed, the Warriors are probably the hardest to dissect. Golden State has won four titles since Steve Kerr became the head coach before the 2014-15 season, with a core that includes Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. After getting eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, questions about the end of the dynasty are circulating around the NBA and sports media airwaves. While Curry, Thompson and Green have met the challenges and doubts more often than not, the signs of age and years worth of battles taking their toll stuck out like a sore thumb. All season, even through the Warriors’ struggles on the road, they got the benefit of the doubt because of their championship pedigree. The combination of the Lakers’ depth, and their own shots not falling, solidified Golden State’s first series loss against a Western Conference opponent in Kerr’s tenure.

It’s widely understood Curry is going nowhere, but the same can’t be said with as much certainty for Thompson and Green. The other splash brother has an expiring contract, and Green can opt out from his current deal this summer. Even the general manager, Bob Myers, might be on the way out. If Myers is gone, the person who takes over will have a monumental task to retool around Curry. A good place to start is the inside positions, because L.A.’s forward/center, Anthony Davis, destroyed Golden State in the paint. Many times before, the Warriors were able to overcome the lack of height with their pinpoint shooting from distance, but not this time. Even with all of the doubts and questions, I can’t help but believe Golden State will tune things up for one more run at a championship, with a lot of the same cast of characters.

Decision: Run It Back

Defense is still king, no matter what changes in sports

Advertising and marketing tells us it’s all about the offense, but defense is still the key if championships are to be won

Most of us know what it’s like to open up a print newspaper and see all of the different sections within it. There’s sports, entertainment, metro, business, politics and life (among others topics) being covered up by the main page introducing the name of the paper. As time has moved on, the printed newspaper became smaller, and the sections have been combined to cut down on the cost of printing. In a way, the newspaper reflects how life is today, and when it comes to sports and entertainment, those two sections are about as joined at the hip as it gets. Because of the partnership, leagues and broadcast stations prioritize getting as many eyes on their product as possible, and promoting offense has become the chief way to do so. As offense has become engrained in the DNA of the viewer, defense is almost an afterthought, but even after all of these years, defending is still the most important item if titles are going to be won. Don’t take my word for it, just look at history.

Let’s start with the NFL. If a person went on YouTube right now, they could find many videos that showed the league’s greatest hits from back in the day. In other words, defense was promoted almost as much as the offense, but as we know, that’s not the case anymore. Now, rules that make the big hit almost non-existent are in-place (flags fly if a quarterback is even touched), and everything that’s been legislated into the game gives the offense all kinds of advantages. Even with these changes, no team wins a Super Bowl without making at least a few big plays on defense. The Kansas City Chiefs just won this year’s title, and of course, QB Patrick Mahomes was the one who got all of the accolades. No one is trying to take away from the greatness of Mahomes, but he didn’t even reach 200 yards passing in the game. The Chiefs were outplayed by the Philadelphia Eagles for a huge part of the contest, but a defensive touchdown, in the form of a fumble return by linebacker Nick Bolton, kept Kansas City within striking distance until the offense got on track. It definitely helps to score points, but if a team can’t stop anybody, that will come back to haunt a squad at the wrong moment.

Next, the NBA is on the list. In a sports world where offense has become everything, this league might be the biggest example of that. It’s not uncommon to see teams score around 130 points in a game these days. Compare that to games played in the 90s, where scoring 100 points was considered an offensive explosion. Remember when the hard foul was allowed to make players who dared to come into the lane for a layup pay for their efforts? Not anymore. Now, it’s an automatic ejection if a foul is deemed too aggressive. Hand-checking has been taken out, and overall, defense is optional. With that said, the defense (magically) makes a difference between winning a title and getting close to that status. Games start to slow down in the playoffs, and they’re not as wide-open as they were earlier in the season. Things get a little tighter, and it’s not enough to be good offensively. Take a look at the Golden State Warriors when they defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals in 2022. We know about Steph Curry and his shooting ability, but they were third in points allowed per game through the season. The Warriors probably don’t win if the defense wasn’t as good as it was. Just because defense has become optional at times doesn’t mean it can’t be played at a high level. Golden State, and the other teams that have won in the last decade, prove this theory.

Finally, lets take a look at MLB. The analytics bug is part of the driving force behind the offensive craze, but it might be the biggest part in baseball. All we hear about is launch angle, upper-cut swing and power numbers. Rules to get rid of the shift (overloading fielders to one side), along with smaller dimensions in MLB’s stadiums, have combined to allow home runs at record rates. Yes, power numbers are way up, but teams have become dependent on the long ball, leading to more strikeouts. What happens in the playoffs is pitching staffs make adjustments to keep the ball out of the sweet spots the hitters love, and if a squad can’t manufacture runs with singles, doubles and sacrifice bunts, runs don’t get scored. Pitching and defense is still the way to go. An example of this is the Houston Astros, who won the World Series in 2022. In defeating the Philadelphia Phillies to win the title, the Astros only gave up three runs in the final three games, including a combined no-hitter in Game 4. A catch at the wall by centerfielder Chas McCormick preserved the win in Game 5, and a young pitching staff came of age throughout the journey. It goes to show winning 10-9 every game isn’t sustainable if a team wants to win a championship.

There’s a phrase that says offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships. No matter how much people want to say that isn’t true anymore, too many cases say otherwise. Maybe this is the way to think about today’s times in sports: Offense can get you to the hill, but defense gets you over the top. Media and leagues encourage offense, which provides the entertainment value. When it’s winning time, it’s a good thing these games aren’t played on a ratings chart.

It’s past time for the media to stop catching blame

When athletes get frustrated, media members catch the wrath, but they’re the wrong people to direct anger at.

As someone who has spent a portion of life in the journalism industry, I’ll be the first to admit the media is far from perfect. In the age of the 24/7 news cycle, the priority has changed from making sure a story is accurate to being the first to bust out the breaking news label. The change in priorities has led to (at best) sloppy and lazy journalism, and ultimately, distrust towards the media world. Yes, there are people who work in the industry that are about being the headline themselves, but that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of individuals who still understand the foundations of what journalism is about. Therefore, the attacks on media when they are actually doing the job is unwarranted and ridiculous. When athletes in sports have bad games, that’s not the fault of the media. Unfortunately, there are many players who fail to take responsibility for their actions.

Let’s start with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the first example. Excuse me if I can’t narrow down the number of flops to a single case when it comes to Rodgers. For starters, he lied about his COVID vaccination stance last season, and when the media remembered what was said, he said they were out to get him. This season, the reigning two-time NFL MVP isn’t playing up to that standard, and not only is it the media’s fault, it’s everyone else around him. Receivers, coaches, the front office, pretty much the whole organization not named Rodgers have passive-aggressively caught some wrath. The bottom line is if A-A-Ron (Google Key and Peele if you don’t understand where I got that from) wants to be snippy, he should look in the mirror for who’s catches the brunt of his frustration. He stunk against the San Francisco 49ers in last year’s divisional playoff loss, and he couldn’t do anything with three second half interceptions from (Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB) Tom Brady in the NFC Championship Game the year before. Those opportunities slipped away, and it looks like a far cry for Rodgers and the Packers to get a chance like that anytime soon. I get the hurt feelings, but the media is the wrong place fight.

For the second example, let’s go to the NBA and discuss Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. This man actually has people in the media afraid to criticize him, and I have no idea why. James may be a once-in-a-generation player, but he, or no other human being, is above criticism or questioning. So when media members ask him questions about the terrible play of guard Russell Westbrook, they’re probably asking because it was James who wanted him on the Lakers in the first place. Keep in mind I’m not the only one who felt bringing Westbrook to the team would be a horrible fit, but LeBron the general manager didn’t listen. Now, Westbrook is doing what he has always done, building whole neighborhoods with bricks from three-point land (along with committing the careless, back-breaking turnovers like he’s still a rookie), and the Lake Show is officially unwatchable. Meanwhile, the leader of the player-empowerment movement lets Westbrook take all of the darts, knowing he was the ring leader for this transaction. Instead of taking responsibility, James acts like he’s just a player, and says the media is trying to “bait” him into saying something messy. No, the press is asking simple questions, and it’s not critical just because people aren’t worshiping the ground he walks on. What’s happening is LeBron can’t overcome deficiencies to flawed rosters anymore, and the realism of that is something he’s having a tough time dealing with.

Finally, let’s come back to the NFL and look at what Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams. This case is particular damning because unlike Rodgers and James, Adams actually put hands on a media member. After the Raiders lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on the road Oct. 10, a pissed off Adams shoved a photographer to the ground, resulting in misdemeanor assault charges. I want someone to explain to me what that photographer did to deserve that treatment. If Adams is going to be upset at anything or anyone, maybe it should be the fact Las Vegas blew a 17-0 lead, or perhaps at fellow receiver Hunter Renfrow for tackling each other on a fourth down pass that sealed the Raiders’ fate on that night. I guess Adams figured pushing on media would be better than injuring himself punching a wall or locker. Needless to say, this is not the way to deal with anger, and no matter how upset a player is, there’s no excuse for coming after press in that manner. Let’s make sure you don’t run into your teammate before acting that way Davante.

Trust me when I say I can understand why there are serious trust issues with the media. The actions of some within the industry can be enough to set off emotions that are better off being left alone. With that said, it’s not the media’s fault if a player is performing below standards. It’s not the media’s fault when said athlete wants to call himself a leader, but deflects and hides when accountability is called for. It’s not the media’s fault when a player and his (or her) teammates let an opportunity for a big win slip away. The actions of Rodgers, James and Adams are just a few of the many cases where public figures want to go after the media when things don’t go their way, or are questioned about their actions (see Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving from the past weekend). If they want all the spoils of success, then they should know criticism comes along with the status from it. The local boxing gym would be the place to find a punching bag, but for the foreseeable future, the media will continue to be a suitable substitute for receiving frustrations…and shoves.

Talent over leadership: Why the latter is often forgotten across the NFL and NBA

When it comes to dealing with a star player, there’s no doubt talent is the first thing front offices look at in trying to determine whether or not to sign a long-term commitment. Coming through high school and college, being the biggest, fastest and/or strongest was enough to get by. In the NFL and NBA, those advantages are gone, because it’s truly the best of the best, and everyone has talent at that level. This means there has to be another factor that separates the great from the good, and if we’re talking about a franchise quarterback in the NFL, or elite player in the NBA, management is expecting them to be a leader and elevate the team around them. Therefore, many teams get blinded by someone’s talent, and find out the hard way they aren’t what they thought they were. Here are a few cases where leadership is lacking, and talent isn’t enough to overcome the headaches and heartbreak that come with it.

As the NFL prepares to start their season in a couple of weeks, there might not be a team with more question marks than the Arizona Cardinals. The offseason for the Cardinals was, to say the least, noisy. Their quarterback, Kyler Murray, went into brat mode and scrubbed his social media accounts of anything associated with the team, setting the stage for a contract dispute. Eventually, the sides got a deal done, but there were stipulations (which were later taken out) that basically said Murray needs to show more leadership and stop acting immature. On the field, it’s true Arizona has shown improvement each year he’s been the starter, but when things go bad, Murray has shown a tendency to quit on his team and throw teammates under the bus. Now the Cardinals are stuck with him for a while, which really says a lot about the league’s quarterback market (way overrated in my humble opinion). It’s time for Murray to grow up, because talent can only be hidden behind for so long.

In the NBA, the obvious example to look at for a lack of leadership is the Brooklyn Nets. During the summer of 2019, the Nets decided to make a splash in free agency by signing forward Kevin Durant and guard Kyrie Irving to huge contracts. Prior to these deals, Brooklyn had a team with a number of good young players, but they decided to mortgage the future for an attempt to win right now. Fast forward to current times, and it’s been nothing but disaster, mainly because Durant and Irving have been either injured, or malcontents, the whole time they’ve been there. The two stars have all-world talent, but if a team is counting on them to lead to the promised land, that’s going to be a long wait. The only times ultimate success occurred for these players are when they were supporting actors. It’s understood Durant was a two-time NBA Finals MVP during his days with the Golden State Warriors, but most know there wasn’t much he had to change in joining a championship-ready team. Irving hasn’t done a whole lot if he doesn’t have a certain king he’s playing with. Bottom line, it’s different when a player has to be the one to lead, and up to this point, Durant and Irving have proven they don’t have that leadership gene. When things get tough, they want to run and make excuses, and lash out at the media (because it’s always the media’s fault of course). Unless things drastically change, the Nets will continue to find out their investment in talent is going to fall flat.

Back in the NFL, let’s take a trip to Wisconsin, where Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers continues to be productive, and a pain in the a**, at the same time. There’s no denying the immense talent Rodgers has, and in my estimation, he might be the most talented player ever to play that position. He has won the regular season MVP award four times, and has a Super Bowl MVP along with it from the 2010 season. Notice there’s a lot mentioned about individual accolades. That’s because team success has been hard to come by. In the last two seasons, the Packers have managed to be the best team in the NFC, which gives them home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Even with that, the team failed to get to the Super Bowl, and it’s because the perennial MVP candidate came up small in the biggest moments. Coming into this season, Rodgers has already criticized the young group of receivers for a lack of production in training camp. I’m not one to talk much about contracts, but Rodgers is the highest paid QB in the history of the league (in terms of annual value). He’s getting that money because the Packers believe he can uplift the team to another Super Bowl title. At the moments of truth, he has failed, and for the amount of drama he has caused, it’s starting not to be worth it. If a player wants all the money, more is going to be on his or her shoulders. When leadership is needed the most, buckling isn’t an option. Someone forgot to tell Rodgers this.

All be told, most teams are willing to get through all of the mess and drama a great player can come with because the talent is so immense. Presidents and general managers everywhere are afraid to pass on them because they don’t want to be known as the person who lets that talent get away. Leadership is hard to evaluate because a player has to be put in that position in order for that to be shown or not shown. The players mentioned above have been anything but leaders, and there’s more than enough evidence to show things won’t be any different moving forward. It’s hot in the kitchen, and these players, along with many others, have displayed they can’t handle the heat. Don’t worry…the media will be ready for the attacks when the frustrations of these players boil over again.

Serious responsibility comes with wide-spreading influence, like it or not

There’s a phrase used by William Shakespeare that says “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” The meaning of this (and I’m paraphrasing here) is those who have major responsibility have difficulty relaxing, knowing the heavy burden they have to carry. In sports, there aren’t many who has more of an influence than Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. There’s no denying the amount of people the self-proclaimed king touches when he speaks, and because of this, the message delivered with each appearance, clip, tweet or post is going to generate lots of buzz. Two things that comes with the responsibility and burden from wearing that crown is understanding the topic being discussed, and being willing to take the bad with the good in terms of the responses from comments made. When reaction is good, James (like many others) will shower in the praises, but when it goes badly, it appears he (also like many) wants to run away from that responsibility. That’s wild for a person who seems to be so self-aware of the image he portrays, or is it?

One of these moments deals with comments made about the situation involving Brittney Griner, the decorated women’s basketball player who is being detained in Russia for having cannabis oil in her luggage, according to customs officials in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. Griner has been detained since February, and the cries are growing louder for her to be brought back home. James, in a trailer released for an upcoming episode for his show, “The Shop,” said “I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even wanna go back to America?,” appearing to be critical of the efforts from the Biden Administration to bring Griner back to this country. James would later try to clarify his words, but it’s fair to wonder why that was the choice for the trailer, or even when this episode was filmed. Understand there are lots of complications with any situation involving a detainee in a foreign country. Regardless of what many people believe, the American president can’t bring prisoners home with a snap of a finger. By the way, we’re not exactly on the best terms with Russia right now. I think we all want to bring Griner and the other prisoners home, but it’s okay to admit we don’t know the best way to do that, instead of acting like we have all the answers. At any rate, LeBron came across as a man who was misinformed, and the notion of Griner wanting to stay in a Russia prison over coming back to the United States is beyond asinine. There’s nothing wrong with giving opinions, but it’s not too much to ask to at least be somewhat educated on the matter.

Another situation with James coming across as a hot taker happened in April 2021, regarding the death of Ma’Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio at the hands of police. James tweeted a picture of the cop who shot Bryant with the message “You’re next #Accountability.” When body cam footage of the incident came out, James would delete the tweet, and post more trying to explain why he took it down. In those tweets, it was everything but taking responsibility for another misinformed message. For context, we are living in a time where there is serious division in our country, and race relations are beyond low. The incident in Columbus broke the news cycle about an hour after the verdict of Derek Chauvin, the policeman who was caught on video kneeling on the neck of George Floyd and ultimately killing him, was read in Minneapolis. Emotions are raw, and having those two items happen back-to-back can make those feelings come out. It’s at those moments where cooler heads, and LeBron’s in particular, have to prevail. In other words, this was a reckless tweet simply because we didn’t know everything that led to Bryant’s death at the time. James made it worse by trying to put the blame on everyone else for misreading the tweet. I will say while LeBron’s comments were lots a things, they weren’t racist, which was a view that was expressed by some in the media.

The final instance came a few days after comments about the Griner situation emerged. Also in an episode of the shop, James called fans of the Boston Celtics “racist as f***” when asked where he doesn’t like playing the most. Let’s realize LeBron is not the first athlete to mention how out of control fans in Boston can get with their racism. Unfortunately, it’s a reputation that has been given to the city for quite sometime. Having said that, I’m willing to bet the majority of Boston sports fans are good and passionate, and bad apples are in every arena and stadium around the world. With James, it’s probably not the best way to smooth things over with the fans, especially with being a part-owner of the city’s baseball team, the Red Sox. It seems kind of weird a man who criticizes and paints a broad stroke on a fan base has part ownership on a team many in that same base supports just as passionately.

We all know LeBron has been in the spotlight for quite a while. The image he puts out is someone who has opinions that are educated and well-versed. In most cases, that’s probably true, but there are some where it’s not, and James shouldn’t be above backlash if his comments come across as stupid. LeBron has done a lot of good, and it’s not breaking news he’s well off in the game of life. I also believe it’s an overall good thing when someone of James’ stature is willing to speak out on social issues. The only thing is if said person doesn’t fully understand the topic, the potential for those comments to become reckless is high. It’s a lesson LeBron, even after all of this time, appears to keep losing sight of.