INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

TONIGHT’S NBA SCHEDULE:

7:00 – ESPN Game 2 Eastern Conference Finals. Heat-Celtics. Miami leads series 1-0

I am not a big fan of individual awards in a team sport. MVP, Coach-of-The-Year, First team this, Second team that.

The only award I care about is winning.

Winning the championship.

Yesterday the NBA came out with their All-League teams. Of course you had critics going off on who didn’t make it?

Bradley Beal was trending yesterday – people were upset he didn’t make first, second or third team. Beal averaged 30.5 points per game this year. Walt Bellamy averaged 31.6 points per game back in 1962 but the league only had two teams and Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell took up those spots. Wilt averaged 50 points per game and Russell was named MVP.

LeBron James has been in the NBA for 17 years, he’s made All-NBA 16 times. It’s the most anyone has ever accomplished. The guy is one of the all-time greats.

Kareem, Kobe and Tim Duncan made All-League 15 times.

Have had some friends asking me who I like in the Western conference finals, Lakers or Nuggets? My heart is with Denver. Lakers will be tough obviously, but the Nuggets just beat the Clippers and no one, and I mean no one gave Denver a chance. Wait a minute, not true, my guy Ray LeBov of Basketball Intelligence picked Denver over the Clippers. http://basketballintelligence.net/

Former NBA player Mychal Thompson tweeted out: Jokic…Shooting range of Dirk…Lo post footwork of McHale…Passing skills of Walton…Basketball IQ of Kareem…Moves of Gumby…The dudes pretty good.

Tweet From Justin Kubatko: James Harden and Russell Westbrook are just the fourth backcourt duo in NBA history to each earn an All-NBA nod in the same season: 5x – Bob Cousy & Bill Sharman 2x – Stephen Curry & Klay Thompson 1x – Dennis Johnson & Gus Williams 1x – Harden & Westbrook.

Russ caught some criticism during the Rockets series against the Lakers, and yes, he didn’t play his best but let’s not forget how well he played in the regular season. His first year in Houston and playing out of position.

Speaking of “the best ever” type talk – I am going to try and just say, “one of the best ever.”

I’m not sure you can compare someone from the 1970’s to today’s players.

Good story here on the Van Gundy brothers. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/17/sports/basketball/nba-jeff-stan-van-gundy.html

Bulls, Pacers and Pelicans all have coaching openings. Would love to see someone give Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon a shot at the head job.

Now that college football is back, looks like college hoops will start up in mid to late November.

QUOTE OF THE DAY FROM DUNCAN ROBINSON:

“Sometimes you do all the right things and the ball doesn’t go in.”

Happy birthday Junior Bridgeman and Phil Jackson

Always play the right way…

EMAIL: hoops135@hotmail.com

TWITTER: @CoachFinamore

STAGGER SCREENS

The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, the two number one seeds in the East and West lost their opening round game.  Last night they bounced back to even up their best of seven series.  That’s what it’s all about, getting up and bouncing back.

TODAY’S SCHEDULE:

1:30 Nets (0-2) – Raptors (2-0) NBA TV

4:00 Nuggets (1-1) – Jazz (1-1) TNT

6:30 76ers (0-2) – Celtics (2-0) TNT

9:00 Clippers (1-1) – Mavericks (1-1) TNT

Anthony Davis went off last night leading the Lakers to the 111-88 victory over the Trailblazers.   Davis had 31 points and 11 rebounds.  After shooting 0-5 from deep in game 1, A.D. went 3-4 last night.   Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum had an off-night;  Portland’s starting backcourt combined to shoot 2-12 from downtown.

It was LA’s first playoff win since May of 2012.

ESPN reported when LeBron James scored 23 points, had 15 rebounds and dished out 17 assists in game 1 that it was the first time it has ever been done in NBA playoff history.  WOW!

Lillard dislocated the index finger on his left hand in the third quarter.   Blazers said X-rays were negative.  Hope he’s okay.

”It’s just sore,” Lillard said. ”A little bit tender to the touch. Dislocated it. A little bit sore, a little bit swollen. Uncomfortable.”

The Lakers made 14 three-point shots.  Blazers just 8.

I love Wenyen Gabriel of the Blazers.  Plays hard and with energy.  He  defends, he’s active, pursues missed shots at the offensive end, and goes after 50-50 balls.

The Bucks, like the Lakers stepped up their defense winning easily over the Magic 111-96.   Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 28 points and 20 rebounds.  ESPN posted a graphic during the game pointing out that in the playoffs for the Bucks,  Kareem Abdul-Jabber scored 20 points or more and 20 rebounds or more in a playoff game 18 times.   Last night was the first time Giannis had put up those numbers.

”There’s an urgency,” Antetokounmpo said. ”I’m not going to say there’s a fear factor – being down – but you know you have to be urgent.”

When you play ball with urgency, good things happen.

The Houston Rockets are 5-0 when they attempt 50 or more 3’s in a game.  Speaking of the deep ball, so far in the 2020 playoffs, the team that makes the most 3’s in a game is 14-2.

James Harden does not get enough credit for his passing.

I wish basketball would eliminate the block/charge play.

Duncan Robinson shot 7-8 from distance yesterday in Miam’s 109-100 win over the Pacers to take a 2-0 lead. Do you realize Robinson averaged 9 points per game his senior year at Michigan? He went undrafted.   The Heat made 18 three’s.

Utah Jazz evened up their series with the Denver Nuggets.

Former NBA player player Gerald Wilkins got into some trouble with the law.  I hope he can turn the corner.  ‘Dougie’ as his teammates called him used to hang out with us outside the Garden after Knicks games and shoot the breeze.

George Karl went at Mark Jackson on Twitter last night.   Action Jackson made a comment on air about Carmelo Anthony’s defense saying there should be a “shared responsibility” for anyone who “allowed” Melo to play bad defense in the past.   Karl fired back.  “Heard Mark Jackson is taking shots at my defensive coaching during tonight’s broadcast.  Remind me, how many all-star teams did you coach, Mark? How many DPOYs?  How many Finals appearances?  How many of my teams became dynasties right after I left?”

Hey look, Jackson is paid to analyze.  Think Karl is wrong on this one.

They held the NBA draft lottery last night;  Minnesota Timberwolves have the first pick in the 2020 draft.  If I am the T-Wolves, I pick Obi Toppin from Dayton.  He will be the best player in this draft.

Happy birthday Wilt Chamberlain. 

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT FROM MARK JONES (on Nate McMillan)

“He is all about accountability.  Not afraid to hurt his players feelings when he has to.  It’s the reason they call him Sarge back in the day.”

Always play the right way…

E-MAIL:  hoops135@hotmail.com

 

STAY READY

Jeff Van Gundy of ESPN during the Denver Nuggets-Miami Heat game:  “I love Torrey Craig’s energy, intensity and rebounding mindset.   For an eleventh guy, he is a perfect fit because he’s always ready,  He plays a utility role and accepts it.”  Craig  was undrafted in 2014 out of USC-Upstate.

Nuggets fell to the Heat 125-100.   Bam Adebayo scored 22 points for the Heat.

Kelly Olynyk of the Heat shot 4-6 from distance.  His teammate Duncan Robinson started his college career at Williams College, a D-3 school, transferred to Michigan and now is one of the best long distance shooters in the NBA.

Great thing about listening to Van Gundy and Mark Jackson on ESPN is they tell the truth and always talk about what it takes to be a better ball player.

“You are your habits,” JVG said towards the end of the Clippers-Pelicans game.

During the game Jackson was talking about the return of Joakim Noah to the Clippers – he mentioned Noah admitting that he owned up to his poor play, that he didn’t prepare in New York with the Knicks.  To which JVG added, “but his choices and lack of preparation and readiness cost people jobs.   There are ramifications for everyone’s choices.”

The Clippers set a franchise record today by making 25 3-pt field goals (47 attempted) against the Pelicans.  The NBA record is 27 set by the Houston Rockets in 2019.

T.J. Warren dropped 53 points against the 76ers leading the Pacers to the 127-121 Saturday afternoon victory.   Warren shot 20-29 from the field including 9-12 from downtown.   Jalen Rose of ESPN added, “The Suns traded that man to Indiana for cash considerations.”  Joel Embiid of the Sixers scored 41 points and pulled down 21 rebounds in a losing effort.

During the Toronto Raptors-LA Lakers game I watched the Raptors make 10 passes on one possession.   Amazing ball movement.   Raptors won the game 107-92.   Kyle Lowry scored 33 points on 8-16 shooting including 5-9 from distance.   The Villanova grad also had 14 rebounds and 6 assists.  14 rebounds for a guy who is six-feet tall! “We got a team full of scrappy guys,” Lowry told the ESPN sideline reporter following the game.

Fred VanVleet of the Raptors dished out 11 assists.

Lakers shot 29-82 from the field, 10-40 from distance.

By the way, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse has done an amazing job.  Toronto is 47-18 on the year.  Last year after 65 games they were 46-19.   I wish Kawhi was still down with them.

R.I.P. Mike Gale, the Overbrook High alum was 70.

Always play the right way…

-Steve Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

 

FOUNTAINS AND DRAINS

On Sunday afternoon I came across a quote from Koby Altman, Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager – he mentioned that a head coach once told him:  “There are two types of players, fountains and drains.  Fountains add something to team chemistry, drains take something away.”

Miami Heat crushed the Houston Rockets on Sunday, 129-100.  At one point in the second quarter Miami led 59-18.  Duncan Robinson led the way with 23 points in 35 minutes including 7-11 from way downtown.  The former Michigan Wolverine who is 17-34 from beyond the arc on the season went undrafted, played in the G-League and is now in the Heat rotation.  Miami Heat head coach Erik Spolestra on Robinson:

“He has put in the work, he has put in the sweat, he has put in the grind.  He’s a Miami Heat player.  He is hungry, driven, ambitious.  That stroke, three-point shot is not there by accident.  There’s a lot of hours behind the scenes when no one is watching.”

I was surprised when I saw the score.

“Surprising? Not surprising to me,” Myles Leonard said. ”Don’t get it twisted. The Houston Rockets are incredibly talented. But we came in with a game plan and a mindset that we were going to take away what they’re good at, be disciplined and execute. That’s what we did.”

Miami dished out an incredible 38 assists.  And they shot 18-41 from distance.

It was a record-setting opening quarter for the Heat – resulting in the third-biggest lead after 12 minutes in the NBA’s shot-clock era, starting with the 1954-55 season.

Miami led 46-14 after that first quarter.  Pack it up, pack it in…

Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni.  ”We’re not in trouble.   But if we think we’re not in trouble, then we’re in trouble – if that makes sense.  You’ve got to have that appropriate fear and understand that it’s a new year and you don’t start with any games and we’ve got to work our way back.” 

James Harden was 14-14 last night from the free-throw line.  After six games thus far, Harden is 91-95.

Houston is 3-3. Miami 5-1.

So refreshing to hear this from Marcus Morris after his Knicks lost to the Kings at home, 113-92 and fall to 1-6 on the year.  “At the end of the day, Fiz is putting us in the best position to be successful,” Morris said on Sunday night after scoring 28 points in the Knicks’ loss. “I think it’s us, we’ve got to execute the game plan better.  He’s been nothing but a great coach for us, he’s been giving us what we need.  Just today, we didn’t hit many shots. They were the better team.” https://www.sny.tv/knicks/news/marcus-morris-defends-david-fizdale-after-knicks-113-92-loss-to-kings/311385874

My name is Luka.  I live on the second floor:   How about Mavericks guard Luka Doncic?  29 points, 14 rebounds and 15 assists last night.  It’s his 2nd straight 25-point triple-double in the Mavericks win over the Cavaliers.

”He’s a magician with the basketball and at that size, it’s hard to stop,” Cavaliers forward Kevin Love said. ”I can’t say enough good things about him. It’s unbelievable, even from last year when he was extremely impressive, but this year he’s taken it to a whole new level.”

Dallas is 3-0 on the road.  Doncic says he’s having fun.

”I enjoy playing basketball and I had a lot of fun tonight, for sure,” said Doncic, who had 31 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists in an overtime loss to the Lakers two nights earlier. ”I want to play good every game because I have a lot of fun playing basketball.”

Doncic is a fountain.

Be a fountain, not a drain.

E-Mail:  Hoops135@hotmail.com

 

 

DUNCAN ROBINSON

Second year member of the Miami Heat is currently playing in the Las Vegas Summer League.

“It’s not lost on me that what I’m here for is to shoot and make shots. But I try to just do other things, little things here and there to make winning plays on both sides of the ball.”

DUNCAN ROBINSON

On playing with the Miami Heat:

“It’s great playing with guys that are so unselfishness and actively looking for you in your spots.”

DUNCAN ROBINSON

“I’m a complete player. I play the right way. I’m unselfish. I play for my teammates. Like you said, I can make shots, but do a little bit more than that. I think I’m capable of that.”