Celtics are in a tough spot. Brown may not be their guy, but he'll have someone give him max money. Sixers were in the same spot with Tobias Harris years ago. Good enough to command a high salary but maybe not an overall difference maker. So what do you do? Brown is a guy that can carry you in stretches, and he does defend fairly well. Honestly, I'd think about taking him over Tatum. I like Tatum, but very inconsistent and just not a leader.
If they are able to win Game 6, which will be tough IMO, the odds swing heavily their direction to win Game 7 and complete a monumental comeback.
Both you and I (and most of America) is shocked. Miami went right after a Celtic team that simply collapsed tonight. It is bewildering to me how up and down the Celtics are.
Also pieces that fill roles around key players are the way to go.
This lasted all of one game. Nuggets are a strange team, they look like they can be really good at times, but Porter and Gordon can be very up and down and it really makes Jokic and Murry have to be great every game. Miami's just gritty and digs down and makes you earn every single point.
LOL - You are right, I've never heard of him.
How many times have we written the obit for the Heat, just in the last month? Look, they are playing with house money. They are an 8 seed, They were not even supposed to get to the 2nd round, let alone the eastern conference finals or finals. So who knows? The Nuggets have had a tendency to slack off and not go for the kill. I wouldn't be shocked if the Heat grind out a win somehow tonight.
I did say I wouldn't be surprised. I really thought the Heat would be able to neutralize Murray better with their wing defenders.
How? Miami was the 8th seed, and has 7 undrafted players on their roster. Maybe out manned, but not outclassed.
Exactly. There's not a coach alive that would have made a difference in the result.
A couple years ago I posted that for the first time in decades elite talent was spread around the league and there were no super teams, which I felt would open a great era for the NBA with stars and teams winning big in places we aren’t used to seeing. It’s happening. I think it’s good, but the last time we really had that dynamic in the NBA was probably the mid 1970s to the rise of Bird and Magic. That half decade in the NBA was wide open, but is historically not regarded as a good time for the NBA, which even had playoff games on tape delay. Could the current NBA actually lose popularity even though more teams have realistic championship hopes and more cities have star players than probably since that pre-Bird/Magic window?
I think there are possibly two bigger issues at play for the NBA’s home grown popularity: the lack of American stars. Argument could be made the 4 best players are foreign and that more than half of the current top 10 is foreign. In addition: the next, young crop of superstars are closer to being out of the league than they are the face of the league. If Zion can’t stop eating and banging pornstars long enough to finally get healthy or if Ja can’t learn to put the pistol down, the league’s popularity takes a big hit. While neither IMO have top 3 player in the league potential they are exciting ultra athletic players.
