2021-22 Pointless NBA Trade Ideas

Bulls get: Zion, Eric Bledsoe, Seth Curry

Pelicans get: Ben Simmons, Nikola Vucevic, Bulls 2022 1st rd pick, Bulls 2025 1st rd pick, Sixers 2027 1st rd pick

Sixers get: (sign & trade) Zach LaVine, Bulls 2027 1st rd pick, Coby White, Ryan Arcidiacano

Look, New Orleans, I hate to say it but it is only a matter of time before Zion demands a move, the days of getting through the rookie contract are probably over. As long as everyone is hating on Ben Simmons, now is the time to make a big balls trade, shore up some future roster certainty and work on your scouting department. Personally, I'd rather trade Ingram and build around Zion but that probably isn't in the cards for the Pelicans, so time zig instead of trying to zag. Here you can bring back the most underappreciated player in the game (Vucevic) and the most divisive player in the game (Simmons) to go with perhaps the most perplexing player in the game (Ingram) and lock that nucleus down for three years while you cobble draft picks around them. I'm not sure that team would win but they would be a pain in the ass and, my god, if Trae Young can drag a bag of tomato cans to the final four, than let's see Ben Simmons show some love of the game out there. The Pelicans will still want to move on from Steven Adams, but I already made a post about that (to the Raptors) that wouldn't be interrupted by this move. And they should also re-sign Lonzo. 

The Sixers replace the defensive minded Simmons with the offensive minded LaVine and move on from Curry to go younger. They still have have Thybuld and Embiid for defensive activity but a faster younger shoot-happy squad (Maxey, White) around Embiid in a lineup built to outscore teams rather than try to play defense. 

The Bulls get the best young prospect in the game (*) and two veteran wing scorers to pack in with him. If I were building a team around Zion, I'd want five Alex Caruso clones and five Daniel Thies clones. The instructions would be simple: 100% commitment on defense, crash the boards and do whatever Zion tells you to do. Rotate your Caruso clones and Theis clones and, yeah, that sounds just about perfect. You want Zion to have perimeter shooters but you don't need superstars, you'd rather have hustlers. Zion is going to do all the work on offense, all your need from the other four guys is effort. The good news is the Bulls already have Thies and Caruso is a free agent, I'd grab them both and try to get perimeter scoring and hustling defenders to go with Zion. 

Does this make the Bulls a dangerous squad? Zion alone makes the Bulls a dangerous squad. Can the Bulls do better than the Pelicans at building around him? I dunno, really all that matters is Zion getting to a team he can live with. Is that team Chicago?

I don't see this deal happening because the Pelicans trading Zion under any circumstances would be pretty dumb. And the Sixers trading Ben Simmons is probably gonna require a better deal than this. And the Bulls don't really have enough to make a Zion or Simmons trade work. But this deal is (kinda) possible and (kinda) satisfies what the Bulls and Sixers need. The question is: could Zion live with this deal? 

(*) I suppose it's worth noting that I am assuming that the Bulls are an acceptable landing spot for Zion. I've heard Lakers (LA would love to make it work but that ain't gonna be easy) and the Knicks (might not have enough to make that happen--unless Randle gets traded to make room for Zion AGAIN!). 

2021 Euro Quarterfinals

I've watched a random smattering of the Euro and a lot of the Copa America. Enjoyed all of it but haven't been as locked in as I usually (sometimes) am. Might as well make predictions, I guess. 

Switzerland v Spain. I genuinely thought Switzerland was the better side in their PK thriller with France, indeed the match was there for Switzerland to dominate and they fell asleep and let France take over. But they recovered and got it done and they're the ones matching up against a Spain side that has been progressing in this tournament, but still seems kinda slow and awkward to me. The 2000s Spain side (one of the greatest sports team of all time, IMHO) dominated possession and regulated the pace of play to their precise demands; this team acts like they can play that way....but they can't. If Switzerland bunkers, then I don't think Spain gets anywhere near the goal and if the game is looser in the midfield, I don't think benefits Spain, either. I really feel like Switzerland is the scarier team--and they've even run the PK gauntlet already, too. I'll take Switzerland. 

Belgium v Italy. This is the quarterfinal-of-death (not sure anyone has used that phrase before, I'll go ahead and take credit for it), definitely the one you want to clear your calendar for. I think Belgium is the most talented team in the world right now, gotta go with them to keep winning. Italy is fun, a bit underappreciated these days, they've got talent and moxy, they can absolutely win this and that's why this is the game to watch. I think Belgium's got too much firepower up front, too much control in the midfield, I gotta go with Belgium.  

Czech Republic v Denmark. I've only watched a smidge of these two teams so I have no real feel for either of them. The fact that Czech snuck past mighty Netherlands (meh) and that Denmark stomped lowly Wales (double meh), doesn't really mean much to me. I think Netherlands is in a bad way right now (more like North Carolina basketball, which will be just fine in the long run, as opposed to Nebraska football, which ain't coming back) and Czech was the better team. But it wasn't some rousing upset. Likewise with Denmark's thorough thrashing of Wales: man, Wales is like the Vanderbilt of Europe, they were born to get thumped in competitions like this, so it's not as if Denmark showed off some amazing capability to get here. So...uh....I dunno, I'll take Denmark. 

Ukraine v England. Ukraine's late game comeback against Sweden was a thing of beauty, but I can't help thinking that Sweden was the better team and they let the match get away from them. England, on the other hand, I thought England thoroughly dominated Germany, especially in the 2nd half. (*) Great W for the English. Ukraine is the spunky underdog but this England team is really good. I gotta go with England. 

(*) In the 80th-ish minute, with England up 1-0, Thomas Muller got a wide open solo breakaway and a good look at a giant goal to tie up the match late....and he put it wide. My first thought was that may well be the last touch Muller ever has in German uniform. He got subbed out soon after and I think I was probably right because I doubt we'll see him in World Cup qualifying. Dang, man, what a tough way to go out. Germany has been in a weird funk for a while, normally they casually dominate but they haven't looked anything like dominant in a while now and I don't know why because they still have tons of talent.

You don't need to speak German, you'll understand it just fine. 

2021-22 Pointless NBA Rebuild Idea

Yeah, couldn't help myself...here's the case for the rebuild no one saw coming: 

Nets get Karl-Anthony Towns, Jake Layman; Wolves get Pascal Siakam, Raptors 1st rd pick (#4); Raptors get Kyrie Irving

Nets get Chris Paul (sign & trade); Suns get James Harden

Nets get #7 pick, #14 pick, James Wiseman, Warriors 2023 1st rd pick, Warriors 2027 1st rd pick; Warriors get Kevin Durant

The Nets would shed their high profile talent and end up with: Chris Paul (fresh 3yr deal, I'd say something in the 3yr/$150m range(*)), Karl-Anthony Towns (3yr/$100m left on his contract), James Wiseman (still on rookie contract), #7 (I'd take Davion Mitchell (Baylor)), #14 (I'd aim for Josh Giddey (Australia)) and they'd still have Joe Harris (3yr), Deandre Jordan (2yr), Landry Shamet (expiring), Nicholas Claxton and Alize Johnson.  (Jake Layman gets bought out instantly) And I'd bring back Luwawu and Bruce Brown and--why the hell not?--Blake Griffin. And then they should go get JJ Reddick (run back the Clip show in NYC). They go from a veteran squad (full of grumpy show-offs) to a young squad (led by CP and KAT) over night but it would be much more stable and fun and they'd be building some real basketball culture instead of just being a bunch of media whores. And what's the point of indulging the Kyrie and Harden circus if they're not gonna show up in the playoffs? (**) 

Does this make the Nets more likely to win the 2021-22 championship? Well, I don't suppose it does--though if CP wins this year maybe you can talk yourself into it. But it does make them a more consistent and viable franchise going forward. Will they make any of these moves? Oh, good lord, of course not! They've got three huge stars, which is what we have told ourselves all teams need to win the Championship (of course, they....didn't win the....championship...but you know what I mean). For the Nets, these moves are designed to bolster the franchise for years to come rather than leaving it the hostage of self-absorbed media whores. But, then again, it is NYC--and the 2nd place team in NYC, at that!--all they know is media whores and making themselves available to that probably looks pretty good to the Nets. 

Would the Wolves be better off with Siakam and #4 instead of Towns? Well...no. But how about also sending D'angelo Russell (***) to the Pacers for Myles Turner and TJ Warren (Russell made an Eastern All-Star squad and he's a Big-10 guy from Louisville, is that enough cache for Indiana?). And how about shopping #4 to OKC for #6 and a future pick (of which OKC has a fistful); Jalen Suggs (Gonzaga) probably isn't the right fit with Edwards, they may well be better off moving back in the draft and trying to find more assets. Look, this is Edwards' team now and if they can move D'angelo Russell for anything, then at least they'd be fun to watch (and they wouldn't take the blame for Towns' lack of success any more). 

Would the Raptors swap Siakam and #4 for Kyrie Irving? My guess is fuck yeah they would! In a heartbeat! He's not Kawhi but the Raptor supporting cast is still really good and we all still believe in Coach Nurse (right?), I think the Raptors go as far as Kyrie's health carries them. Also, this pushes Van Vleet back into super-sub guy again, which is probably a more realistic fit (he'd be odds on for 6th Man, no?). 

Would the Suns trade CP for Harden? I bet they wouldn't want to but CP has a player option this summer, which I assume he'll decline, and if he'd rather be shipped to NYC then re-up in Phoenix than getting James Harden (Arizona State product) is certainly not a bad deal. Do Harden and Booker fit together? Sure, why not? 

The Warriors would be reunited with Durant, which would be massively expensive in the short term and kinda kills their rebuilding going forward. But unlike Brooklyn, Golden State has had massive success with their veteran lineup and if it costs a gajillion dollars and murders their future prospects, well....what do I care? (I feel like I speak for all Warrior fans when I ask that question)

Yeah, no way any of these moves happen, but wouldn't it be a fascinating curveball if the Nets suddenly went into a garage sale mode? They could if they wanted to.

(*) If I'm Chris Paul (or any aging but still solid badass) I would insist on a declining contract. Pay me big up front and I'll take less on the back side. So CP has a player option for $44.2m this summer in Phoenix. I assume he will opt out with the intention of going for more years. He'll probably want something like $150m over 3 years. In order to stay in Phoenix, he can't decline an option and then sign with the same team for less money and he wouldn't with a new team either, so he'll have to make north of $44.2m next year. Rather than go to $45, $50, $55, say, to hit $150, I think a $55, $55, $40 would be better. If in three years CP is no longer any good, then just give him his paycheck and let him move on because your team's gonna suck anyway. But if he can still play and your team sucks, they he has a better chance of getting to a better team. The declining contract promotes player movement, which isn't for everybody, but for a badass like Chris Paul, the playoffs are where you get the attention, the opportunity and the big big money. CP needn't give his heart to the team, he should give his heart to go deep in the playoffs e'ry year, no matter what team it ends up being with. 

(**) Is anyone in NYC impressed that Kyrie, Harden and Durant lasted a whole extra round longer than Julius Randle and the fightin' Thibodeaus? I doubt it. I'm not and I'm not even from NYC.

(***) How on fuckin' earth is Russell making $30m this season? How...how....does that happen? That dude has never done anything in the NBA and he's mostly been injured....how does he get a $30m deal?

2021 US Open Golf

The leaderboard was crowded on Sunday, felt like no one wanted to win. But as the back nine progressed, dudes just fell by the way side. Bryson deChambeau fell the furthest finishing 26th, but Harris English, Brooks Koepka, Russell Henley, Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa slowly peeled away from Louis Oosthuizen and it felt like the South African was gonna take it. But Jon Rahm exploded to the finish line birdying 17 and 18, stole it right out from under Oosthuizen. Oosthuizen needed to finish strong and went big on 17, put the ball in the drink off the tee and that was it. On 18 it felt like he had already made his peace and just wanted to secure 2nd place.  

Great win for Jon Rahm, especially on Father's Day where we got to see him lovin' on his newborn (and his super hot wife). 

Weird observation: Torrey Pines was not particularly telegenic. I would've thought that San Diego in the summer would look better on my TV but frankly it did not. 

2020-21 NBA Semifinals

Game Six: Sixers 104-99 Hawks

Game Seven: Hawks 103-96 Sixers

After the Hawks came roaring back from monster deficits in the previous two games, they were pretty lowkey in Game Six and the Sixers kinda cruised to a series-evening W. And even though Trae Young was not exactly at his best, Kevin Huerter shined out in a big way to move the Hawks to the Conference Finals (and send the Sixers to a hellish off-season of bickering). I love underdogs and I have a brand new respect for Trae Young, but let's be honest: the Sixers should've won this series in five games without really breaking a sweat. The defense is there but, man, the fact that the ball dominant Ben Simmons absolutely refuses to score points is a killer in playoffs. Embiid battled his ass off, Seth Curry provided way more offense than should've been needed and even the much maligned Tobias Harris averaged 19ppg on just under 50% from the floor. Felt like Coach Rivers had this team right where he wanted them but Simmons' godawful FT% (15-45--yeech!) basically sank them in every game. The talk of trading Simmons began immediately (when we could just as easily be heralding his first final four appearance) and you just know that talk is gonna linger all summer long. Great effort from the Hawks, the mosquito took down the elephant. 

Game Six: Jazz 119-131 Clippers

Wow, what a lame ending for the Jazz. To blow a 25 point lead in a must-win game after letting Game Four slip away is...well, precisely what I thought wouldn't happen to the Jazz. I pegged the Jazz as the best team for their balanced and deep roster and their coaching, which has been superb the last few years. But watching Rudy Gobert (DPOY) get torched in the 4th quarter was entirely the coach's fault (not Rudy's, he was busting his ass but the way the Clips were raining 3's had nothing to do with his skills). They couldn't counter the small lineup and even though the coach wanted to stick with what has worked all year, it wasn't working that night and Coach Snyder fiddled rather than getting to work. A disappointing conclusion to what was a really great season for the Jazz. The Clippers overcame Kawhi's absence behind the resurgence of Paul George, an all-time great bench effort and Coach Lue's confident handling. 

Game Seven: Bucks 115-111 (OT) Nets

I never thought the Nets were gonna lose. Down for most of the 4th quarter, it just felt to me like they would find a way, they had too many playmakers, too many big timers to let this funky-ass Bucks team steal the W. But, uh, nope....didn't happen. Durant hit the big shot at the buzzer but his foot was on the line, so it merely prolonged the contest that everyone was too beat to play (6-2 in OT). Harden was negligible, Kyrie didn't play at all, Joe Harris still didn't shine out, Blake Griffin played hard but mostly on defense, Bruce Brown was nice but not enough, so Kevin Durant had to do it all and his 48 points just couldn't finish the job. Well, I did pick the Bucks over the Nets and, well, I thought it would be because the Nets would flame out, but somehow I still didn't actually believe it until I watched it happen. Great W for the Bucks, wonder what happens to the Nets now (how much self-pity can a collection of hall of famers exude?). 

Game One: Clippers 114-120 Suns

No Kawhi, no Chris Paul, but still an entertaining opening match. Devin Booker is--and I say this with respect and admiration--the stupidest motherfucker in the NBA right now (though Trae Young is a pretty close 2nd) by which I mean he thinks about nothing but scoring, he is an unconscious, unthinking, unfeeling scoring machine and his 40 points (and 1st career triple double) is the proof. 

Pairing Booker with CP, the smartest motherfucker to ever play the game, feels like a deadly combo. So unless Kawhi comes back at maximum power, I gotta take the Suns duo over the Clipper duo. And considering the best part of the Clippers so far was the unbelievable bench effort in the last coupla games against the Jazz, suggests that max power Kawhi may be incompatible with the best part of the Clippers. So...uh....how do they win games? Paul George will getting a face full of Jae Crowder and Dario Saric and as good as Reggie Jax and Terence Mann have been, I don't see how they outscore Booker. And the Clippers don't have anyone down low to counter Deandre Ayton. I think the Clippers will win enough to keep the series interesting, but I'll take the Suns in 7.

Hawks - Bucks

I kinda love this Hawks team. Even without Deandre Hunter (is Cam Reddish gonna play?), they move the ball so well, play good team defense and everyone knows their role. When its time for Huerter to bail them out, it happens. But until then it's Trae's team and everybody knows it. I love the attack but I'm still skeptical of their defense. Embiid bogs down on his own and Simmons hates to score, so I think the Sixers played into the Hawks' shortcomings where I don't think the Bucks will. Also, (weird way of sayin' it but) I don't think the Bucks are smart enough to outsmart themselves the way the Sixers did. While I think the Sixers are potentially a more dynamic team, I think the Bucks are more reliable at being themselves. I think Middleton, Holiday and Lopez will get their shots (and I feel like they'll finish better than they did against the Nets), I think Giannis attacks the lane and gets fouls and I think we could see a lot more of the Hawks bench then we did in the last series. On the other hand, an insanely hot night from Trae (always a possibility!) is really the only thing that the Bucks can't handle. I thought the Sixer D was enough to handle the Hawks--and perhaps it was considering that it was the Sixer offense that couldn't keep pace--and I think the Bucks D will be, too. I like the Bucks in 6.

2020-21 NBA Playoffs (Quarterfinals after 5 games)

Bucks 2-3 Nets

As a Redditor reminded the world, every team has endured heartbreaking injuries in this year's playoffs....except for the Bucks. So...wtf, guys? Kyrie is out, Harden is playing on one leg (and not playing particularly well), and, even though he's healthy, Joe Harris has been kinda useless so far. So why haven't the Bucks taken control of this series? Giannis just doesn't have the killer instinct (*), Middleton is still not shooting well enough to be a strong second banana, Holiday has been nice but hasn't added much, PJ Tucker has had moments but also seems like a weakness, and Coach Bud has not stepped up his game (though he looks to be well in touch with his inner Nick Nolte). The Bucks had Game Five in hand and they let it slip away in the wake of KD's brilliance (damn, that dude went off I didn't even think he was capable of taking over a game the way he did last night) and Jeff Green returning from injury and balling out. If this Bucks team can't beat this depleted Nets team, then it ain't gonna happen. Blow it up, Milwaukee, the obvious next step is pure panic.

Sixers 2-3 Hawks

Oooohhh, Sixers. Two games in a row where they were thumping their way to the Eastern Conference Finals and then gave it up in the 4th quarter. Game Five, I'm sitting there watching the 18 point lead shrink and shrink and they're up by 2, Trae Young comes down, fakes a shot, gets fouled, drills three straight FT's and the game was over. I hate to be that guy....but do you know who can't do any of that? Yeah, Ben Simmons can't do any of that. The Sixer defense has been solid but in Game Five they needed to continue the scoring and they couldn't do it. Embiid wears out in the second half, Tobias Harris got marked out of the game (John Collins, DPOY guy now?), Seth Curry carried the scoring as long as he could and....well....nothing else. Man, they're gonna lose to the fuckin' Atlanta Hawks (**). The Hawks have impressed me so much by just hanging around. This series should be over, the Sixers should have won Games Four and Five, but the Hawks have found the Sixers weakness: they have no staying power, they can't go 48 minutes in a row and there's no reservoir of offense, they can't dig down and get points. The Hawks, on the other hand, have offense to burn and just the right mix of vets (who don't give a fuck) and youngsters (who don't know any better) and they look like a nice little squad, man. The Sixers should be nervous, they could still win the next two games and move on, but I wouldn't bet on it. The Hawks have taken control of this series and there's just no reason why that should've happened. 

Jazz 2-3 Clippers

The Jazz missed their chance in Game Five. With Kawhi out, the Jazz at home should've throttled the Clippers and taken command of this series. But they didn't bring their best effort, gimped in the 4th quarter, couldn't stop Reggie Jackson and, oh yeah, Paul George was fuckin' amazing. I really didn't think PG had that in him without Kawhi. I've long thought PG is built to be a second banana and relying too much on him is only going to be disappointing and perhaps that's what the Jazz thought, too. But he showed up in this game in a big way and he took the series away from the Jazz, who have yet to win in a game in Staples (where the Mavs won 3 out of 4). It's not over, I still believe in the Jazz but winning two in a row ain't gonna be easy. 

Suns 4-0 Nuggets

I thought the two teams would have similar offensive outputs but the Nuggets just couldn't hang without Jamal Murray. When Murray is the first option (Jokic being the second), it allows Michael Porter to be the third option and Aaron Gordon to be a rover; but without Murray, Porter is not ready to be a #1 option in a playoff series and Gordon is nice but not really built to be more than the 4th best guy on a squad. The loss of Murray creates a cascade of offensive inefficiency and as great as Jokic is, he can't make up for all that by himself. The Suns, on the other hand, are led by Devin Booker, who I'm completely convinced now is the most Kobe-like player in the game today: when Booker gets the ball in his hands, all he contemplates is how to get the ball in the basket; that's the "Kobe": it's not about flash, its not about winning, its not about last time or next time, its not about impressing people or showing anyone up, it is about putting the ball in the basket right here, right now. And the Nuggets don't have anything that can hang with that, so the Suns rolled them soundly. Chris Paul has been great, I've been blown away by Deandre Ayton--really much better at both ends than I ever gave him credit for--and the rest of the cast has been just fine so far. This isn't about Suns dominance, though, this is about the Nuggets being short-handed. The Suns would have home court against the Clippers.

 

(*) Dude, I'm not complaining about your slow FT technique but it isn't working. So try picking up the pace instead of fetishizing your bad habits.

(**) You know the Hawks were the one team that actually played really well against Brooklyn in the regular season. Just throwin' that out there...

2021 French Open

Krejcikova 6/2/6 - 1/6/4 (31) Pavlyuchenkova

Weird roller coaster of a match. Krejcikova is the young upstart, Pavlyuchenkova is the wily veteran who hasn't had much success since she was the young upstart ten years ago. Krejcikova is unranked, Pavlyuchenkova was ranked #31 (and I thought the rankings only went to #30), so no one saw this coming. (1) Ashley Barty and (2) Naomi Osaka (*) both bailed, Serena looks to be finally spent, and the two finalists knocked out a number of ranked opponents along the way. 

Pavlyuchenkova broke Krejcikova on the first serve, then gave it right back and then gave away her next serve and her next and the 1st set was quickly over and this felt like it might be a boat race. 

But Pavlyuchenkova came out angry in the 2nd set (Russians, man), roamed the baseline like a caged animal, started hitting with ferocity and went up 5-1 and looking ahead, the 3rd set was gonna be interesting. But, wait! Pavlyuchenkova came up gimpy (grabbing her groin like Anthony Davis), faltered as she was serving for the set and then took an extended trainer time out. Suddenly the 2nd set that looked like a walkover was back in play. But Krejcikova didn't take advantage, gave up her serve and it's all down to the 3rd set.

In the 3rd set Krejcikova's strategy seemed obvious to me: run Pavlyuchenkova from side to side then sneak in drop shots for winners, repeat six times, collect trophy. I think Krejcikova had the right idea but it took her a while to execute and felt like Pavlyuchenkova was gonna wily-vet her way back into this match. But Krejcikova got her bearings and shut her down for the victory (and one of the most muted, waiting to exhale championship reactions I've ever seen). Good W for the youngster, this should vault her into the rankings and get a fresh bullseye on her back at Wimbledon, no? And does Pavlyuchenkova have another major run in her this summer? We'll see. 

(5) Tsitsipas 7/6/3/2/4 - 6/2/6/6/6 (2) Djokovic

Oh, man, some brilliant five set tennis right here. I missed the 1st set, entering just as they were going to tiebreak. In tennis I root for 1) a longer match and 2) the underdog. So in the 1st set I was pleased to see Tsitsipas grab control. 

In the 2nd set, Tsitsipas broke Djoker early and I gotta say: I've never Djokovic just give up on a set before. He went, 'meh, fuck it' and just dribbled out the clock because he knew it was going five sets. 

In the 3rd set, Djoker put on a clinic: he knew exactly which game he wanted and he moved heaven and earth to win that break (how many deuces? 6? 7? I dunno, that game went on forever). Tsitsipas was still in it but the momentum flipped right there and he was never able to flip it back. 

Djokovic rolled over him in the 4th, went up on early break in the 5th and it was over. Felt bad for Tsitsipas, he played so well early on but just could not sustain it once Djokovic got tuned in. 

Mary Carillo said at one point what I had already been pondering: I guess it's time to say Djokovic is the all-time GOAT. He really is, man, he's won everywhere, he's beat everyone, and he's done it while being squeezed out by the more popular fanbases of Nadal and Federer. But beating Nadal at Roland-Garros and pulling off the five-set comeback just makes it obvious. Djokovic is better than those dudes and those dudes were the two best of all-time.  

It didn't me long at all to think Federer was the GOAT, he was anointed as such fairly early in his career and I never questioned it. But with Djokovic this thought has been in the back of my head for a few years now and I cannot account for why it took me so long to get here. Factor in the insanely long and productive careers of the two dudes that he has bested and frankly it's pretty obvious: Djokovic is the all time greatest. 

(*) The big splash of this year's French Open (well, at least since that match fixing scandal didn't take hold in the American media) was Naomi Osaka refusing to do press conferences citing "depression" and then withdrawing completely--though I never understood why. She agreed to pay the Roland Garros-imposed fines, so why did she have to split? Look, the ATP/WTA wants as much publicity as they can get for their events and that means trying to turn these players into int'l celebrities and that means sucking up to the media whenever possible. 

Media-driven fame is pretty much an unavoidable component for something like a tennis competition and the players not trying to be famous is really not an option; players used to like being famous but I can certainly understand kids today avoiding the whole mess (says the guy who has yet to identify himself after more than 14 years of writing this blog). But what if the players don't need the media to be famous? What if the players can generate all the following and sponsorships they need from their own social media platforms without ever giving themselves over to scrutiny from out of touch old farts that still run the mainstream media? 

This isn't a sign that the French Open is in danger, it is a sign that NBC Sports is in danger. Or, at least, that the paradigm of how fans and celebrities interact is evolving rapidly. Personally, I adore the French Open and I hope it continues; but between you and me, if NBC Sports dropped dead tomorrow, I doubt I'd notice or care. The medium is the message and the message is that the media is swallowing itself. 

2021 NBA Pointless Trade Idea

Thunder get: Kristaps Porzingis (3yr/$100m); Mavericks get: Al Horford (2yr/$53.5m), Gabriel Deck (3yr/$11m/mostly non-guaranteed) 

Personally I think Al Horford took too much shit for his time in Philly--that team was a trainwreck and they overhyped their signing of a dude that wasn't really right for them. And in OKC the fear was he might actually win some games and was promptly sent home. I think Horford is ready to win, I think he's a solid do-what-it-takes crafty veteran, I think he fits with Coach Carlisle and Luka, I think he can do the middle of the lane game that Luka had going with Boban in the playoffs. Granted he's a little pricey but he's way cheaper than Porzingis, who has already shown he can't hang, and he's only on the hook for two more years rather than three. As for Deck, I have no idea who he is or what he does, but his contract looks to be very disposable, so if he fits keep him (if not, see ya). (*) This move brings back a player that can be useful as opposed to attaching assets to dumpe Porzingis. 

For the Thunder, they have no desire to win for the next two years anyway, so a wildly overpriced bust is perfect for them. Dallas needs a place to bury this body and OKC is open for business! I know this sounds glib but their eye is on the 2022 draft: OKC's pick is top 14 protected (they will absolutely suck, so that's a top 5 pick); they have the Lakers unprotected 1st rd pick (obviously the dream scenario is AD and Lebron both get hurt, the team goes into a tailspin and OKC is gifted another top 10 pick); and the Suns's top-13 protected pick (this should be, like #25, not great but not nothing). So for the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander and Dort are keepers, Bazeley, Pokusevski, Jerome, Maledon and Kenrich Williams are probably just filler but they've got two seasons to figure it out. 

The Thunder plan going forward: for 2021-22, let SGA become an all-star, let Porzingis do whatever (as long as it doesn't win games), pump Dort for DPOY or 6th Man, see if Pokusevki can hang, see what they got with the 2021 pick (say, Jonathon Kuminga), see if anyone blossoms from the bench. Roll heavy into the 2022 draft, run it all back in 2022-23, then give SGA a bunch of money, ride out the Porzingis contract, hope the youth movement pans out while holding a gajillion 1st rd picks. Winning any games at all next season would just be a waste of time and that will likely carry over another year after that, too. 

Horford is too useful to just not play in OKC, whereas Porzingis is precisely the kinda guy that looks like a star but won't damage the draft prospects. Win-win, don't even need to add 2nd rd picks or any of that crap, if I was Dallas I'd call this in right now. 

(*) Does this move keep them from re-signing Tim Hardaway? I don't think it affects Hardawy. It might keep them from bringing back JJ Reddick, Boban Marjanovic and/or Niccolo Melli....is that a problem? I'm not sure. Porzingis is the problem, not what replaces him. 

2021 NBA Pointless Trade Idea

Raptors get: 2021 Pelicans 1st rd pick (should be around #10), Steven Adams (2yr/$35m); Pelicans get: Rodney Hood (1yr/$10.8m (non-guaranteed)), Aaron Baynes (1yr/$7.4m player option), Raptors 2021 2nd rd pick

The Raptors really need to move on from Aaron Baynes and while Steven Adams has been the object of much ridicule for a while now (slow, clogs the lane, too expensive), I think even the worst of Adams' qualities are not a bad fit for the Raptors: I think Adams at the FT line, can work with Van Vleet, Anunoby and Siakam. And an edge of the lottery pick from New Orleans would give them two bites in the lottery this year (dude, I'd aim for Baylor players, I thought that whole team was amazing, they all looked like prospects to me), which replenishes their deep bench that has been so effective for the Raptors in recent years. 

For the Pelicans this is about adding money to spend as opposed to bringing back a player. Hood and Baynes can be cut, so is it worth a 1st rd pick to free up $17m in cap space currently going to Adams (*)? The real question: do they want to re-sign Lonzo Ball and is he worth a top ten pick to keep him in house? I'd say yes all the way around. If they have to get rid of Adams to keep Lonzo, then do it and if it costs the #10 pick, then do it. What good is, say, Jalen Johnson (Duke) to them if they're stuck with two more years of Adams and don't have Lonzo? I'd rather plant my flag with Zion and Lonzo (and *gulp* Ingram!) and go from there. They've got future draft picks coming from the Lakers and Bucks, and I would suggest those picks would be best used as tools to remake their roster, rather than as a source of new players. 

Or if not Lonzo, is Lauri Markenen the kinda guy they want to give $17m to? I think Markenen (half shooter/half slasher) fits with Zion and/or anchors a 2nd string when Zion is out. Would the Bulls let him go? They added Vucevic ($24m) at the deadline and this summer is the time to give LaVine an extension (starting around $25m, I'd guess), so if the Pelicans throw Markenen 4yrs/$80m, do the Bulls lock up that trio or do they let the Pelicans snatch him away? (50/50, I'd say) 

I know giving up the #10 pick just to dump Adams just to re-up a guy they've already got sounds daffy, but I think its the right move for the Pelicans. And for the Raptors, an underappreciated veteran and two newbies is a great replacement for Hood and Baynes. 

(*) Would the Pelicans rather move on from Adams or Eric Bledsoe (at $18.1m next year)? I think they'd move either/both, if they could. But in this version of the deal, I think the Raptors can work with Adams, whereas Bledsoe doesn't pair well with Van Vleet. Is there $18.1m of disposable contracts they can get for Bledsoe? I doubt it.

2021 UEFA U-21 Euro

Germany 1-0 Portugal 

I just happened to catch this, just happened to be at my computer, figured I'd go ahead and knock down some thoughts. I am not a great evaluator of talent in soccer, the games are just too long, the action is so varied, and I don't watch enough games to really get much of a feel for these players. Basketball has more similar (if not repetitive) game play action, the baskets are closer together, the court is much smaller, the action more intense, so you get a feel for the individual style of players. In baseball guys just need reps, which is why spring training is so long and so important: guys need to play but if they suck they can't be hogging up a Major League roster. If I watched more soccer and was as hyper into the stats, I'm sure I'd get a feel for these guys but I'm more of a basketball nerd, soccer is a casual amusement for me. 

I write that because really the whole purpose of an U-21 match (even the championship) is just to get a feel for the next generation of badasses, the dudes that Real and Man U and PSG will be fighting over for the rest of the decade. Yeah, I got none of that. No one looked bad to me, but no one really jumped out at me either. 

Portugal was solid with the ball in their attack but never seemed that dangerous around the goal; their defense was sturdy and (almost) fought off the German advance. Germany didn't show me great ball handling up front but no one sucked and their defenders all looked quite capable. 

The only goal was just after halftime. Nmecha (49) was able to corral a pass in the box, got the keeper out of position and though he had a lot of goal to shoot at, his momentum was carrying him away from the ball so he had to put a quick rip on it to convert. Germany had a few more good chances than Portugal but I wouldn't say they dominated. 

Fun game, both teams were intense, playing hard and having fun. They were all tip top athletes, nobody had glaringly bad touch, the keepers both looked pretty good, I expect I'll be seeing a lot of these guys in the coming years. Nice to catch them before these guys turn into scuzzy cynical pros, for now they still have a joy to them (an NCAA tournament or College World Series kinda quality (*)). 

(*) This is what the Olympics was always supposed to be and never was. They already have age bracketed Olympic level events, let the youngsters have their day, and maintain age bracketing into the 20s (and eventually even into the 30s). Let a range of competitions bloom and mature over time by keeping players in their generational cohort instead of treating, say, soccer like it's a World Cup event (it's not, it really isn't). Tennis, golf, softball, seems to me swimming and probably some track events, would actually lend themselves well to older folks playing. And let the kids have their day.  

2020-21 NBA Playoffs (Quarterfinals ongoing)

1st round (Game Seven) Mavs 111-126 Clippers

Ah, man Kawhi was so great and the whole Clipper supporting cast really came to play, this was easily the most complete team game they played in the entire series. The game was close for about 30 mins and right around the time I was noticing just how good all the Clippers had been playing, that was when Luke Kennard got hot, eventually handed it over to Reggie Jackson, and the Mavs couldn't keep up and it was over. Kawhi was perfect, man, in the last two games, just ice cold fucking perfect. He made every hustle play and every smart play and stroked jumpers and controlled the game CP-style. He was awesome, no mistakes, just pure killer. PG was good, too, a reminder that when he brings it, he's a great second banana. Marcus Morris for better and worse is a dude that plays with total confidence and he was hitting in the 1st half, a big contributor. Terence Mann ran around making plays, he was great in the last two games, too. Reggie Jax was spotty in the 1st half, but had some nice buckets in the 4th quarter and Kennard filled it up off the bench (the way he was supposed to). 

Luka was amazing but Kawhi was also amazing and his posse had more to offer, so the 4th quarter was unexpectedly cakewalk-ish. I kinda liked what the Mavs were doing with Boban (though I think I would've liked it better with someone other than Boban) and Boban had a nice offensive game (not so much at the other end). Dorian Finney-Smith played hard working defense but no one else made any kind of difference. Porzingis went 6-12, perfect from FT, 11 boards, 2 steals, no turnovers and...I forgot he was out there most of the time (*). Luka is about to sign his big extension this summer, I hope they can find a way to upgrade the roster. (**)

2nd rd (2 games) Bucks 0-2 Nets

Yipes, my pick of Bucks in 6 does not look...uh....possible at this point. I hate to be that guy: it's Middleton, dude, he went badly cold in the first two games and just killed any hope of offensive momentum. If he gets back on track, I think the Bucks can still get back into this (but it would take a major collapse for the Nets to lose in 6 now). If Giannis can rely on scoring from the wings, then his attack can shred the Nets; Claxton is gonna be rough but when he's right, Giannis is capable of fouling out half that roster. If the Nets keep shooting this good (Harden hasn't even played yet (***)), then they should probably take a game in Milwaukee and wrap this in 5. But I think the Bucks can gut out two wins and keep this series going. 

2nd rd (Game One) Hawks 128-124 Sixers

The Hawks so thoroughly dominated the Sixers in the first half that looking back I wonder if the Sixers weren't intentionally letting the Hawks take their best shot. Philly's defense was brutal and that is precisely what I expected them to be best at. Could be that they were sacrificing a game to get the real dirt on how the Hawks look. Well, in the 1st half they looked gooood. Everybody was draining shots, Trae was just about untouchable and the Sixers kinda sucked at everything. The Sixers went on a furious run--that 4-point differential doesn't suggest what a one-sided game this was until about the last five minutes or so--and made it look close but this game wasn't close. They dropped Game One at home but I still think the Sixers are the better team and while I don't mean to suggest the Sixers are immortal or that the Hawks won't have another Klay-and-Steph kinda half, but the Sixers should figure out how to outscore the Hawks more often than not. I think I said Sixers in 6 (if Embiid is healthy) and I think I'll stick with that (as long as Embiid stays healthy). 

2nd rd (Game One) Nuggets 105-122 Suns

Somewhere in the 3rd quarter of this game, it kinda struck me that the two offenses were both potent and reliable enough that I expected each game of this series to be relatively tight all the way through, didn't really think anyone would get more than about 10-12 point lead. Right around the time, the Suns got hot (er, hotter, they were already playing great) and the Nuggets went cold. The Suns were able to get a nice lead and keep stretching throughout the 4th quarter--precisely what I thought would not happen between these two squads. Oh well, perhaps it won't happen again. Jokic v Dame in 2019 was one of my favorite NBA series lately and this still has the potential to be like that. I still think though that the two squads are similar and evenly matched. I initially said Nuggets in 7--but that was because I was thinking they had home court. I think the Suns are a perhaps slightly deeper roster and since they have the home court, I'll change it to Suns in 7. 

2nd rd Clippers-Jazz

In the last two games the Clippers definitely looked like the team they were always supposed to be. If Kawhi is going to be this masterful, then they're going to be in every series; and if PG and co. can pitch in the way the did taking four of the last five from the Mavs, then they can win and keep winning. The Jazz are a team that know what they are, they're not growing up before our eyes or struggling to figure it out, they are who they are. Could be the Clippers are ready to be better than what they've been--which might be better than the Jazz--but even still I think the Jazz are gonna be a tough out. I think the Jazz can get the shots they want and if they're hitting, they can bury the Clippers. I think the difference is Kawhi: specifically, can the Jazz outlast him in a Game Seven? I'm gonna say yes and take the Jazz in 7.

(*) That's the danger of Porzingis: even when he's playing hard and playing well, he still adds virtually zilch to this team. When he was a kid there was so much weird raw potential but I think the reality is he's a unique athlete that's so-so at basketball. I think he's a trade-able asset (a big paycheck star, a freak to look at but will win zero games--isn't that exactly what OKC has their eye on for the next two years?) but the Mavs need to bring back something tangible and I'm not sure anything like that is available, so I thinks its 50-50 whether he's back next year. 

(**) Cuban suggested the other day that he had no intention of firing Rick Carlyle and I think that is the correct thing to do and the correct way to think about it: change for the sake of change just creates an atmosphere of drift. If a great candidate emerges, I can see Cuban reevaluating the coaching spot but until that happens, I think Carlyle is still the right coach for this team.

(***) My gut is Harden was sitting Game One anyway and just wanted to make a show of it. I don't think he ever intended to play, he was just stirring up some drama. Perhaps if they can script their drama, they can keep under control. Discuss: could creating chaos instead of letting create itself turn out to be a brilliant move?

2020-21 NBA Playoffs (Quarterfinals predictions)

Sixers-Hawks. The Hawks ripped through the Knicks in impressive fashion. Trae Young wrecked shop better than I ever would've expected (I was not a fan going into the 2018 draft). Always loved Bogdanovic and for the first time all year I see how he fits in that lineup. Thought Deandre Hunter took a step forward, so did John Collins. Capela is a presence down low, Galinari and Huerter are a potent bench, and Lou Williams makes for an interesting break-glass emergency piece (a sexier one, too, than Rajon Rondo, right?). The Sixers have big defenders (Simmons and Thybulle) to throw at Trae and a scoring trio in Embiid-Harris-Curry that is light years beyond anything the Knicks had going. Look. man, I hate to be that guy: but would you rather Ben Simmons or...Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? That's not as easy a question as it should be and that's tough for a #1 seed looking to make a run. (*) I like the Hawks, they're really well constructed and while they're newbies, the Sixers haven't won anything either. And they've got the wild card of Embiid's health: if Embiid misses games, I think I would expect the Hawks to win those games. The difference btw these two teams isn't that huge for a #1-#5 seed. I'll take the Sixers in 6 (--with the proviso that Embiid is healthy; if Embiid is out, the Hawks can absolutely steal this).  

Nets-Bucks. The Nets scoring potential is awe-inspiring but I'm not particularly impressed with any other phase of the game: so-so rebounding, defense that disappears, rookie coach, a lot of stars with more history of blame-shifting than winning, a shallow fan base (**). The Bucks have been swimming upstream against the media expectations and this year has blessed them with a) their most complete roster and b) their lowest finish in 4 years. I think the Bucks are ready to win and the Nets are ready to lose (and then pretend like it don't matter). I'll take Bucks in 6. 

Jazz-(Clippers/Mavs). Game Seven tomorrow! I really like the Jazz, I think they've got all the intangibles and are really built for success (in the post-Lebron world). I'll re-examine this matchup tomorrow. 

Nuggets-Suns. This'll be good. The Nuggets are without Jamal Murray, but Jokic has hit another level (wow, didn't know that was possible!), Porter and Aaron Gordon have formed a nice tandem, Astin Rivers has been a plus and not a minus and the rest of the cast (Campazzo, Millsap, Monte Morris, JaMycheal Green) have pitched in nicely. I think Coach Malone has done a great job molding a team around Jokic, beating the Blazers is not a toss-off, that team can hang with anyone. The Suns didn't have to face a full strength Lakers squad (but, for my part, I always thought they would've beaten the Lakers anyway) and they'll get a Murray-free Nuggets squad. Booker is a star, a bright shining star, and Ayton blew me away with his play against Anthony Davis. Jokic is a totally different animal, but suddenly I like Ayton's chances to not get thoroughly smoked. I think the wild card for the Suns is Cam Payne: can he keep up his good play with and without Chris Paul? Becase I doubt Chris Paul plays all seven games, so it could be up to Payne to be a difference maker. You know what? I'm going with the Nuggets at home. Jokic is really good, their home court advantage should come in handy and I don't think the Suns are ready just yet (***). I'll say Nuggets in 7. 

(*) Yeah, I'll say it: I'd rather have Anthony Edwards going against Trae than Ben Simmons. Yeah, I know he'd go 11-30 for his 26 points but he'd bust ass and he'd get to the rim. Simmons is afraid of scoring, he's a great defender and a high level playmaker, but he's not the guy in the R-rated movie, he's the PG-13 guy and this is the playoffs, man, I need a guy that can make a fuckin' FT once in a while. 

(**) You know the conspiracy theory has always been that the NBA wants NY and LA in the Finals every year to guarantee great ratings. But if we got Nets-Clippers, isn't it possible that could so alienate those key markets that it's actually the worst possible matchup from the League's perspective? 

(***) When CP opts out and leaves the Suns with a gajillion dollars, I could see a supporting cast of Mike Conley, Evan Fournier, maybe a flyer on Marvin Bagley take shape. Or how about Lonzo Ball, Kelly Olynyk and Lauri Markennen instead? 

2020-21 NBA Playoffs (Round One after six games)

Sixers 4-1 Wizards. Yup. If Embiid is hurt, I don't see the Sixers beating either the Bucks or Nets; but if Embiid plays, they can hang with anyone. Simmons is so allergic to scoring that its cringeworthy considering what a pleasure he is to watch otherwise. I think Tobias Harris is criminally underappreciated, a guy cursed with the luck of a player-friendly contract and surrounded by fan favorites. Seth Curry is nice but the fact that they have to rely pretty heavily on him is a little scary. Doc Rivers is the right coach for them right now but it's all about Embiid's health, the more games he plays, the deeper they can go. 

Nets 4-1 Celtics. Yup. Looking back on it, I'm really quite surprised they let the Celtics take a game. I guess it doesn't matter: they were gonna be in Boston for Game Four and then back in Brooklyn win or lose, so who needs to win? (The core component of the "Gentleman's Sweep") But, still, the Nets are trying to convince everyone they're untouchable, so getting housed by Tatum is a little disappointing. Oh well, they've got the scoring to hang with anyone.

Bucks 4-0 Heat. The Bucks have come into the playoffs as the overrated front runner the last two years but now they're the overlooked #3 seed and I think that's the spot for them. 

Knicks 1-4 Hawks. Here's something we definitely learned about the Knicks: when Julius Randle and RJ Barrett don't show up, they're not very good. I don't think I needed five games of watching that to know, but at least now I'm sure I know. To say Randle was bad doesn't even capture it: he didn't rise up to the level of "bad", he was way worse. And, dude, Barrett was so bad in this series, I can't even remember his lowlights, he just disappeared. And, hey, I love Taj Gibson as much as the next guy but every time Trae got in the lane, Taj just watched him. Nerlens is the only guy on that roster that has any hope of hanging with Trae Young and Clint Capela at the same time, so what was Taj doing that earned him so many minutes? Immanuel Quickly probably wasn't the answer but wasn't it worth seeing if he could do something? Derrick Rose was the only Knick that showed up and I blame Thibs (yeah, I was a never a Thibs guy and this series didn't change my mind). As for the Hawks, well, they look pretty good but I dunno, man, the Knicks were really horrible, so it's hard to tell. 

Jazz 4-1 Grizzlies. The Jazz tried to get cute by resting Donovan Mitchell in Game One and the Grizz stepped up and broke off a piece. Good for them but that's as good as it was gonna get for the Grizzlies. Nice team, I like the whole team (Ja with some seasoning is gonna be all right) but they weren't ready to go long with the Jazz. This Jazz team is good at everything, well coached and kinda deep. They're the #1 seed for a reason. 

Suns 4-2 Lakers. Look, when Anthony Davis plays, the Lakers can beat anyone, when he doesn't, they can't beat anyone. The Suns are good--they're the #2 seed--and the Lakers have one great player that doesn't play enough and another great player that doesn't play when the other great player doesn't show up and not much else. This series was never over to my mind, the Lakers did well to take Games Two and Three, but when AD went gimpy, that was the end of their season. If he had played in Six and Seven, I would've given the Lakers a puncher's chance but even then I would not have seen them as the clear favorite in either game. The Suns move the ball and they shoot well and when a guy like Jae Crowder gets hot (*), it's kinda over for the other team, because CP won't turn it over, Ayton gets rebounds and possessions become bitterly precious. 

Nuggets 4-2 Blazers. Oh! Thought this was going seven games, but outta nowhere the Nuggets just locked down the Blaze in the 4th quarter and stole Game Six--brilliant team effort. Figured the Blazers were cruising to a win and send the Series back to Denver but they got tight down the stretch right as the Nuggets got hot. Good W for Denver, for the MVP. Still an uphill battle for the Nuggets but I think Suns is a matchup they can hang with. 

Clippers (3-3) Mavs. Going Seven games! The Mavs winning in Game Five came outta nowhere. I thought they were spent, thought Luka was hurt, thought the Clippers had righted their ship, but just like in the first two games, the Mavs just kept pace, held their lead and outlasted the furious comeback. Great W for the Mavs! Another stomach-churning L for the Clippers. Then when I figured the calamity had returned to Clipper-land, Kawhi goes off in the 4th and they steal back Game Six in Dallas (I believe this is the first series ever where the road team won the first six games). Who ya got back in LA? Well, I mean, the Mavs have owned Staples so far, but you gotta feel like the Clippers understand the sword of Damocles that hovers above them...I wanna say Clippers but it's hard, man, it's hard to bet on the Clippers. 

(*) Dude, if Jae Crowder makes a shot in the 3rd quarter of Game Three, then this series would've been over a lot sooner--and before Davis went out.

2021 Champions League Final

Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea

Not sure why I was so lazy about writing about the Champions League this year, I watched every game since the Round of 16. I thought the winner of Bayern/Paris St. Germaine in the quarters would yield the winner of the tourney, but PSG couldn't get past Man City and that was that. Going into this I didn't see much difference between the two teams, both good squads capable of scoring goals.

Man City came out dominating the time of possession but they never seemed any more dangerous around the goal than Chelsea did playing a defensive shell with an aggressive counter attack. 

Chelsea was able to hook up on a counter pass up the middle right before halftime. Left forward made a run up the sideline dragging his defender out of an offside trap position, Kai Harvertz makes a run up the middle, beautiful pass from the defender (think Brady hitting Gronk over the middle), able to juke the goalie (hmmm....handball on the keeper?), pitched it into an empty net. A thing of beauty. I love goals right before halftime.  And that's all it took. 

As for Chelsea's game plan: look, I'm okay with playing Timo Werner, I've watched a lot of Bundesliga and I know that dude can score, but he hasn't been hot lately and it seems to me you'd rather have the more talented ball handler (Pulisic) to run the counter. Chelsea's plan all along was a sagging defense looking to fast break, seems like Pulisic is the best guy to run that for you, not sure why he wasn't in there the whole time. Yes, I get it: they scored before he got in and didn't score with him (although he should've). 

Both teams got a fair amount of shots, a fair amount of decent looks at goal but just the one goal got converted. The defense was tight. I thought Man City finally found something in trying to get Raheem Sterling loose on the left wing. But then around the 65th minute, they subbed him out right when they were ready to spring him. Oh well. I know he's been injured lately but he was quite John Wall-like in his absurd bursts of speed away from the defender. If they could've got that same kind of action from Aguero, then that move would've made sense. Also, de Bruyne took a tough shot, left out looking all woozy. 

Felt bad that Pulisic (subbed in around the 65th minute) wasn't able to finish on that breakaway. Man, he had the keeper beat, lotta goal to shoot at, oof, that one hurts. 

From beginning to end the game was all about Chelsea's defense parrying Man City's attack, getting lucky on one counter and making it stand up. Thought Man City's best bet was finding Sterling up the wing but they never made it happen. 

Good final, good tournament, once it gets to the quarters it's all bad ass squads. 

2020-21 NBA Playoffs (Round One after 4 games)

Sixers 3-1 Wizards 

Setting up nicely for the gentleman's sweep. Not surprised Russ and Beal were able to finally blow up to save some face (with a big 3rd quarter after Embiid decided to take the night off). If Embiid is back, this is over in 5; if he's not, I still don't see how this goes more than 5. The Sixers move the ball too well and defend too well for the short-handed Wizards to hang with (that said, Embiid's sudden gimipness does suddenly make this more interesting than it ought to be). 

Nets 3-1 Celtics

Well, Game Three was a perfect storm: Net's big 3 all shrank and Jaysun Tatum was just about untouchable as he went for 50. Okay, I'm surprised that happened once, doesn't seem possible it could happen again. Nets in 5.

Bucks 4-0 Heat

What a lame performance from the Heat: balled out in Game One, came up short, packed it in. This is still pretty much the same team that made mincemeat of the Bucks on their way to the Finals last year and yet this squad couldn't muster even a gentleman's W. The Heat have a star, a collection of nice youth and handy veterans, a coach that has won Championships and, you know, all that Heat culture....and they couldn't even take a game off the Bucks? Either the Bucks are better than we thought (which is very possible) or this Heat team was just mailing it in all year long (also possible). 

Knicks 1-3 Hawks

Julius Randle was on my MVP ballot and was one of my favorite players to watch this season, but he has disappeared while Trae Young looks like Steph in his prime. Wtf? The Hawks are a deeper team but they're inexperienced, while the Knicks are all veteran mercenaries with a tough guy coach--figured they'd put up a little more fight. There's still time for Randle to re-appear and wreck shop and there's still time for the Knicks to figure out how to slow down Trae...but there ain't much time. Factor in that the Hawks just went cold in the 4th quarter of Game Two and, uh , this series should probably already be over. I'll give the Knicks a W in front of the home crowd, but I'll take the Hawks in 6. 

Jazz 3-1 Grizzlies

Remember when the Grizzlies won Game One (after knocking out the Warriors)? Yeah, that feels like a long time ago. The Grizz got a lot of nice talent--Ja is a player, for sure--but the Jazz do everything well: team defense is tight, they move the ball, they all score, they're deep and savvy all around. I just don't see how the Grizz take another game. Jazz in 5.

Suns 2-2 Lakers

When Anthony Davis doesn't play, the Lakers don't win (also: Lebron doesn't exert full effort). So if Anthony Davis plays two more games, I'd give the Lakers at least a shot at winning; but if he doesn't, I think the Suns win all the games he doesn't play. And as much as the talking head crowd adores them some Chris Paul (*), I think the Suns can win without him--indeed, I think he's occasionally detrimental (when trying to run down the clock in Game Four, he nearly killed all their momentum, when actually trying to score was still working just fine). I think the Suns are a good team and they know how to win better without CP than the Lakers can without AD. I dunno what to pick, if AD plays two of the next three games, I'll say the Lakers; if not, it's the Suns. We'll just have to see. 

Nuggets 2-2 Blazers

Coin flip. Both teams get so hot and so cold that these games have actually been pretty uninteresting when two years ago this was my favorite matchup. Oh well. Nuggets at home in Seven seems the only reasonable call at this point.  

Clippers 2-2 Mavs

Okay, I bit on the hype and figured the Clippers had clipped and this was over. But instead it seems the Mavs have reverted to the mean and their brilliant shooting in the first two games kinda evaporated in the last two games and now we're back to the beginning. The Clippers seem a lot more confident suddenly after looking shellshocked early on; and the Mavs seem a lot more like the one dimensional one-man show they were all season. I think they're even again, which would lead me to take the Clippers in 7. 

(*) I like Chris Paul just fine, but the nerds drool over him in a way I find puzzling. He's never won anything and I don't think its the injuries--he wasn't gonna win anyway! He's a helluva regular season player but in the grand scheme of things, he's more of a never-was than a hall of famer. I said it, I meant it: he was never built to go deep into the playoffs even in his prime.