2021 Gold Cup (final)

Mexico 0-1 (OT) USA (117th)

Fun game! Good back and forth action all the way through . Kinda what I thought it would be: Mexico was more confident in midfield and got to goal more regularly, but their chances weren't really any better than the USA's. USA was getting quality rather than quantity, but I still expected quantity to win out in the end. Around the 70th minute, Mexico kinda slacked, USA finished strong but couldn't find the goal before OT. I thought Mexico kinda dominated the 1st OT period then kinda disappeared in the 2nd OT. 

Set play from about 40 yards out, nicely dropped at the spot, Robinson got up, caught the keeper out of position and guided it home in the 117th minute. Nice finish. Hey, I thought the Americans were capable of stealing it but until the 2nd OT, I still expected Mexico to figure it out. 

Good W for USA. This isn't their top squad, still a level up this team can go. That may well be true for Mexico, too. I thought they handled themselves well, the relationship between USA-Mexico has always been based on the border: games in USA tend to see the Americans winning, games in Mexico City are just death to the Americans, as brutal a homecourt advantage as any I've ever seen (think Duke at Cameron Indoor against non-conference opponents). I would've thought Vegas was kinda neutral territory at this point, but USA stayed with it and got the late win, always nice to bring home the trophy. 

I think both these teams are gonna be strong next year in Qatar. The world is a suddenly weird place, USA challenging at a World Cup is not something anyone's ever seen before, I wonder if we're there yet. Ditto for Mexico, they compete well internationally but seem to sputter in the same spot, weird world, man, a bust out Mexican performance might be on the horizon. 

I feel like Mexico and USA have been through a weird reality the last 15 years or so: the individual talent keeps getting better and is vastly better compared to 15 years ago but the team play is not any more cohesive or threatening or likely to win games. I understand that the rest of the countries of the world are going through a similar thing but I still feel like USA and Mexico are positioned to develop more talent at a more reliable pace than any other country (until China figures it out). But why doesn't that translate to more wins? Why doesn't that evolution of talent bring a similar evolution of successful application of talent? What is USA soccer missing? And can Mexico significantly challenge for a World Cup before USA? Qatar is the next place we'll find out.

2021 Gold Cup (final)

USA 1-0 Qatar

As in their previous match against El Salvador, Qatar kinda dominated the 1st half with cool possession and more chances around the goal than the Americans. Both squads were exhibiting hockey style offense: just create chaos in front of the net, then fling the ball toward the goal. Qatar almost got an OG (sweet touch save by the keeper) and then just a few minutes later a flailing pass found an open striker with a clear view from the wing (another sweet touch save). The Americans had a coupla similar moments but nothing as memorable or dangerous in the 1st half. 

In the 2nd half Qatar had their chance to take control: foul in the box in the 60th minute (looked like a good no-call live and even the first coupla reviews didn't win me over, but the final replay where you could see clear contact to the left leg, as opposed to the right, and I think it was the right call), but the dude missed, beat the keeper but put it over the bar, which left the door open for the Americans. I liked bringing Zardes in around the 60th minute, I like the idea of full throttle Zardes to close out a game. Fresh legs in general won out. The Qataris just kinda ran out of gas around the 80th minute. Americans had a long stretch of pinning the Qatari defenders deep and then stealing long balls around midfield, had a handful of quick touch possessions before finally finding the goal in the 87th minute: defender lost his balance in the box, (dude) just found himself open on the wing, makes the sweet pass back to the middle to find Zardes. Nice finish, nice goal, the Americans closed really well. Qatar was the better team (probably) for most of the game, but they hadn't played a real 90 minute game yet, wasn't sure they could do it and, well, they did not. They missed their best chance to ice it and that late American goal that should've tied it up, instead sent the Qataris packing. Since they are the 2022 host country, they will be around for another year and half, may as well get used to them; they looked pretty good to me, confident in midfield, capable of a few moments of magic up front, they play like a veteran, probably won't have any major upsets, but they'll be a tough out in the World Cup. Good W for USA, especially considering this is the 2nd string. 

Mexico 2-1 Canada

Canada is playing feisty and physical in both backfields. I like it. I don't think it's gonna work but I like their aggressiveness. Mexico is fine, they're not really lighting it up but they seem more likely to score. And when they took the lead right before halftime on a late PK (I thought it was the right call), that seemed about right. 

Pretty early in the 2nd half, Canada tied up the game off a nice finish off a breakaway (I dunno, man, he looked offside to me), good rip. Mexico came back a few minutes later with a PK (I thought it was the wrong call, there's not much contact and it's barely in the box at that), but the Canadian keeper saved it  (man, that sneaking up on the ball thing dudes do is pure show and doesn't really accrue any advantage in trying to convert the shot) and the game stayed tied up. Mexico was probably better but never took control, Canada hanging around, felt like it was going to OT, where it would be anyone's game. Then, OMG! A 90+9 goal to ice it. Wow, that was fuckin' baller and a sweet goal. Mexico waited til the final second, but they made the big play, snatched the victory, weren't waiting around 

Very chippy game, lots of shoving and pushing and hold-me-back-istry at work. Normally that's not my thing but hey man, World Cup is next summer, this int'l season is probably gonna be even more elbow-y than usual, so I liked the feisty from both teams. Canada and Mexico both are normally quite reserved on the field (as are the Americans), so watching them get up in each other's grills gave it a tough guy feel that should build up to a killer World Cup 2022. I've never been as impressed with Canada as I was in this Cup, their attack was as confident as I've ever seen, good pace, clever D, pugnacity on the field, this is a new Canada. Mexico is a nice team, they always compete well with the Europeans and Brazil, they're gonna be tough out for the next coupla years.

Finals (Sunday)

Mexico v USA

I dunno. With both of these squads the offense just sorta appears, there's no real consistency to either, though both teams are confident on D and in the midfield. I dunno. I guess I expect Mexico to be more likely to get scoring chances, whether to finish a corner or just find a good shot in the run of play, indeed I'd even favor Mexico in a shoot out, so I really don't see USA taking this. And yet I wouldn't be surprised if it was USA that got lucky on a set play and stole it. An early goal might make for the maximum amount of excitement: like the Euro Final, an early goal puts the other team in hero ball mode a lot sooner than planned and that often translates to more goals in a Final. I think it'll be a fun game, USA is not at their best but they can hang with Mexico, but Mexico strikes me as more likely to get the Cup.

2021 NBA Draft (mock)

1. Pistons -- Cade Cunningham (Okla St)

By this point it seems clear that the mocks all prefer Cunningham and the Pistons don't seem to want to trade down. Okay. If he's that great, totally worth it, great pick. I like youth movements and that Pistons roster is youthful, I'll be watching a lot of them next year, I'm rooting for him, I think it's a good fit, seems like a ROY favorite. 

2. Rockets -- Evan Mobley (Southern Cal)

I dunno, he did not impress me in the NCAA tourney and that's all I've seen of him, perhaps that just wasn't his best two weeks. I get the upside: his game suggests he could rock the rim like Anthony Edwards, while still being a stout rim protector and that should be just fine for the Rockets. This doesn't make the Rockets any good, their youth movement hasn't actually taken shape yet which may be good (Mobley has plenty of room to develop his game) or bad (lack of winning can make players go crazy). I'm rooting for all these guys to be awesome, Mobley being a bust out badass for the Rockets might work, they've got a few years of rebuilding ahead (but the Rockets are natural born wheeler-dealers, so the faster Mobley becomes a star, the quicker the Rockets get back in the trade game). 

3. Cavs -- Jalen Green (G-League)

Green is probably not the guy they want (but Suggs ain't either), as they've already got a glut of combo guards, but maybe more is better. Green strikes me as the type of ball handling attacker that's going to dominate possessions, maybe designing an attack built around nothing but dudes like that can work (I've never seen it but I'm willing to give it a try). The Cavs are in a weird spot: Kevin Love has got to go, probably some of the other core players (hmmm....perhaps even pick #3...), too. The team has some nice players but there's no shape to it at all, if Green turns into the kind of leader he can be, perhaps he whips this team into shape. Could happen (...but I doubt it, probably he just moves right into the pile of players that need a change of scenery--and he hasn't even gotten there yet!). I'd be afraid if I was a Cavs fan, if Mobley falls that would be ideal. 

4. Raptors -- Jalen Suggs (Gonzaga)

I really dug Suggs in the tourney, he was a badass with the ball and controlling the tempo of the game, he had the senses of a winner. Does that translate to the pros? Yeah, I think it does. It'll take him a while to adjust to winning at the next level but the Raptors is probably a good spot for him: good rotational culture gives touches to everyone and for as much as people want to carve up that roster, I think they're still a pretty good team in the East and I think Suggs goes right into their rotation and handles himself just fine. I don't see him a bust out star as rookie, but a solid contributor, I think he's likely to maintain his good looking prospect-ness going into next summer and could get some ROY votes.

(Calling an audible. Magic trades #5 to Suns (*))

5. (SUNS) -- Alperen Sengun (Turkey)

Sure, why not? The buzz on this kid is pretty similar to Giannis: the you-gotta-see-this-guy that's so fuckin' dominant that you just doubt what you're looking at. Somebody's gonna take a chance on Sengun, it may well be the Magic at #5 (though more likely #8). If the Suns were going to make the move on from CP (which they, of course, are not, I'm just amusing myself here), Sengun might be the guy they have their eye on, even though Sengun has mostly been graded in 2nd rd territory, he's the one that someone's gonna reach on. He may be awesome (hey, I'm rooting for him), if so then I'd think he could work with Booker, Ayron and co. (Chris Duarte (Oregon) is the other guy I could see the Suns nabbing)

6. Thunder -- Scottie Barnes (Florida St)

Athletic combo guard that defends multiple positions, sounds good to me. This is the kinda guy that every team needs, the Thunder need him just like everybody else. I think the Thunder would do well to get Barnes at #6. Barnes doesn't make the Thunder any good, but the Thunder are eager to suck for at least one more year (maybe two, Thunder fans). So develop the youth, throw Barnes in the mix, lose a bunch of games, throw another top 10 pick in next year, then try to grab the right veteran leaders. Like Suggs, I don't see Barnes being a bust out star but I do expect him to be a reliable rotation guy right away. 

7. Warriors (**) --  Jonathon Kuminga (G League)

Sounds like he's an amazing athlete-but-can-he-play-guy. Feels like Coach Kerr, Draymond, and Steph will teach him how to play, so while he probably won't help right away, I think bringing Wiseman along with Kuminga should get some worthwhile playing time. I think the Warriors could build some great depth in this draft. I get that #7 is a delicious trade bait, but I think they can find worthwhile roster additions here. 

8. Magic -- Franz Wagner (Michigan)

This might be a little bit of a reach for Wagner, but he is prized for his defense first and the Magic are already young and deep at every position, it feels like the Magic are well positioned to give Wagener rotation time right away, which is probably exactly what he needs. If he can play D, then he can play, that's how it works in today's NBA (if he can knock down shot, damn he might be a star). I dunno, the Magic can really take just about anyone at #8, they're still gonna be insanely young and deep at every position. They're probably aiming for Kuminga to fall. They need anything and everything and nothing at all.

9. Kings -- Jalen Johnson (Duke)

Yeah, this is probably a reach but I got feeling that Johnson is the one that falls and should not  have and since the Kings need any/everything, why not reach? (In my mock Sungun is already off the board, but the Kings at #9 are a good bet to grab him in real life; or Zhaire Williams (Stanford))  

10 Grizzlies (in the guise of the Pelicans) -- Keon Johnson (Tennessee)

Not sure what the Grizzlies are looking for at the moment. Moving off Valenciunas for Adams suggests to me that they're planning on keeping Adams (while I suspect they've got a buyer for Bledsoe). I don't see a core need, Memphis is actually coming along nicely, the attack built around Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks looks pretty good actually, Johnson gives them a healthy dose of D and athleticism off the bench. (Already starting to lose my grasp on these players). 

11 Hornets --  Corey Kispert (Gonzaga)

The big white kid is still on the board? Dude, you know he's going to Charlotte.

12 Spurs -- Davion Mitchell (Baylor)

The perfect Spur (tough, hard working, disciplined, over acheiver) but arrives into a crowded backcourt. Probably take him a while to get off the bench--which seems counterintuitive with the older Mitchell--but I think he'll be good down the line. 

13 Pacers -- Usman Garuba (Real Madrid)

Another reach! Garuba has been getting more buzz lately, I think the Pacers take their shot on a foreign star (who may not think Indianapolis is so bad). 

14 Warriors -- James Bouknight (UConn)

If the Warriors end up with Kuminga and Bouknight to go with Wiseman, then I think no one looks back and wonders why they didn't trade for (imaginary superstar). 

15 Wizards -- Moses Moody (Arkansas)

Seems like Moody should go higher than #15. I have enough reaches so far to ensure that the Wizards draft him on ranking alone. 

16 Thunder -- Miles McBride (West Virginia)

McBride will either be a bust ass rotation guy or out of the league by the end of the first contract. Two other dudes I said this about on draft day: Joakim Noah and Frank Kaminsky. So is McBride closer to Noah (worked out with the right situation) or Kamisnky (exposed as not that good)? I'll say Noah because I'm trying to imagine the upside of all these guys), if so, the youth movement (Dort, Pokusevksy, Barnes, McBride) will get off to a nice start (and add in a few more picks next year).  

17 Pelicans (through Grizzlies) -- Chris Duarte (Oregon St)

The Pelicans don't need stars, they need hustlers. Duarte is an older gentlemen but seems as day 1 ready as anyone in this draft. A defensive swing man that can contribute right away is perfect for Team Zion. (***)

18 Thunder -- Johnny Juzang (UCLA)

I loved Juzang in the tourney (and wasn't disappointed at all by his time at Kentucky). Juzang is either a star or a flame out, either way he's going big. The Thunder are eager to lose next year anyway, so #18 is about taking a swing. Juzang might have the widest variance between floor and ceiling, an intriguing option. 

19 Knicks -- BJ Boston (Kentucky)

This will definitely strike most as a reach. But coming out of high school (12 long months ago), Boston was amongst Cunningham, Green and Mobley at the top of the recruits. A lackluster year at Kentucky (hey, man, Covid wrecked their whole process) looks like it might doom him to the 2nd round (****), but the Knicks are obsessed with UK guys and though they probably think they can get him with #32, I bet the Knicks go ahead and keep the Blue wave rolling. 

20 Hawks -- Zhaire Williams (Stanford)

Williams is a polarizing prospect: looked like such money in high school but a terrible year at Stanford, so which is it? His size is intriguing and if his game comes together, he could be a for-real stud. If he drops to #20 I can see the Hawks taking a flyer on him because his upside seems pretty crazy. (I can also see them taking Jared Butler (Baylor), they could use some defensive toughness at 2nd string PG).

21 Knicks -- Isaiah Jackson (Kentucky)

Yup, another Wildcat reach at #21. The Knicks have clearly gone all in on Kentucky guys--and I think that's a smart move! You may think these Boston at #19 and Jackson at #21 are too desperate, but I think they're both good athletes, underrated players coming off a disappointing season, I think the Knicks would do well to grab these guys early. (Again, they may wait if they think they can get Jackson at #32)

22 Lakers -- Cameron Thomas (Louisiana St)

Supposedly a do it all PG, we'll see if that fits in LA. (You know the Lakers have actually drafted really well over the last 10 years or so (*****), I bet the draft magic fades now that Lebron is there; just a stray thought) I can also see them taking a flyer on Kai Jones (Texas), though, the Lakers didn't typically do 'flyers'.

23 & 24 Rockets -- Jared Butler (Baylor), Kai Jones (Texas)

May as well take two local college stars (er, sorta). Butler is a ball hawking, athletic PG, coming off a championship, always nice to have and Jones is a project but an intriguing one. But the Rockets already have Christian Wood and (presumably) Evan Mobley? No prob, Jones isn't gonna play at all til the second year anyway. Jones may turn out to be nothing but frustrating but this is a good position to take a swing on potential. 

25 Clippers -- Tre Mann (Florida St)

26 Nuggets -- Nah'shan Hyland (Virginia Commonwealth)

27 Nets -- Jaden Springer (Tennessee)

28 76ers -- Ayo Dosunmo (Illinois)

29 Suns -- Trey Murphy (Virginia)

30 Jazz -- Joel Ayayi (Gonzaga)

Meh, in some years I spot a guy or two in the 2nd round that looks intriguing to me. But this year I'm just going to bat for the Kentucky guys (Boston, Jackson), they didn't have ideal seasons but they're still plenty talented and maybe there's something likable about the hunger they'll be bringing. More than that, though, I think the top 24 or so is actually pretty good. I think this looks to be a deep draft, a lot of good rotation guys in this draft and few potential superstars. But maybe thinner in the 2nd round than usual. I dunno, we'll see. 

(*) Magic get Jalen Smith ($4.2m), Frank Kaminsky ($1.6.m expiring), Chris Paul ($41.3m) (with CP's proviso to negotiate a 3yr extension); Suns get #5 pick, Otto Porter ($28.4 expiring), Markelle Fultz ($12.3m), Wendell Carter ($5.4m). Yeah...this'll never happen for a million reasons, but I'd do it. 

(**) If the right deal comes along, then sure the Warriors should trade #7 and/or Wiseman and/or #14 but only for the right star. I don't see that guy out there and I think Wiggins is underappreciated. I think the Warriors should look to build around Wiseman and #7 (and hopefully #14, too) going forward. I don't think adding random vets to Steph and co. is the way to maximize their longevity, I think steadily drafting young players around them could work better. I'd rather rely on Steph, Klay and Draymond to build an expectation of awesome-ness for the next generation rather than chase vets which just warps their roster and salary cap forever. 

(***) Now that the Pelicans have freed up cap room, they should re-sign Lonzo Ball. But if that falls through (seems like Lonzo could be one of the prime plums this summer), I would suggest not spending the windfall or some star. Rather they should target lunch pail types that are gonna come in and give service to the star. Free agent targets (my suggestion): Cam Payne, Jeff Teague, Irsan Ilyasova, Taylor Horton-Tucker, Jarred Vanderbilt, Timothe Luwawu. Payne is actually gonna want big money, Pelicans should offer 3yr/$42m, it's a good deal to play with the next big star of the league. Teague and Ilyasova are worth 2nd string money, Vanderbilt and Luwawu are undervalued players just waiting to be had, Tucker brings the pedigree (re: working alongside Lebron). Zion doesn't need a splashy star, he needs hustlers and role players! Buying him the shiny toy is gonna be a waste of money, keep a steady diet of reliable toys around. 

(****) I think the teams of the NBA would be making a serious mistake if they let the World Champion Bucks get Boston at #31. 

(*****) Laker draft picks since 2014: Julius Randle, D'Angelo Russell, Larry Nance, Anthony Brown, Brandon Ingram, Ivaca Zubac, Lonzo Ball, Tony Bradley, Mo Wagner, Svi Mykhailiuk, De'Andre Hunter. Would you rather have a roster built around those guys or the Bucks's picks since 2014: Jabari Parker, Damien Inglis, Johnny O'Bryant, Lamar Patterson, Rashad Vaughn, Thon Maker, Malcolm Brogdon, DJ Wilson, Donte Di Vincenzo (oh, and traded Norman Powell, RJ Hampton, Kevin Porter and Sindarius Thornwell on draft day). Still think the World Champion Bucks were 'homegrown'? 

2021 Gold Cup (semifinals)

Qatar 3-2 El Salvador

2 mins in El Salvador has an unfortunate giveaway in the midfield, offense turns to defense, Qatar has two guys going forward, they cross up the defense, leaving a lane for a 3rd guy streaking through, who gets himself all alone inside the box and finishes a nice rip past the diving keeper. A few minutes later, Qatar scored from 20 yds out (one of those cold blooded upper 90 shots you'd see in old Brazil highlight videos), just nasty, just completely outta nowhere, gets himself a bit of space and rips the upper 90, just a thing of beauty. El Salvador was shellshocked and Qatar just took it to them for about 60 minutes and when Qatar goes up 3-0 on a PK early in the 2nd half, El Salvador finally woke up and balled out for the last 30 mins. Fun game! El Salvador gets on the board in the 63rd min, after a nice overhead pass sneaks inside the offside trap and the dude up front got a nice shot and he ripped it. A coupla mins later, they came right back down and drilled another and it was a game for a while.  The Salvadorans had the tying goal waived off for offside (correct call), but they attacked and made it a game. But that first 60 mins, man, Qatar looked like a hit squad. 

Honduras 0-3 Mexico

Yeah, Mexico was just better. They attacked better, defended better, countered better, controlled better...they were just better. It was only a matter of time before they found the goal and when they did, they piled on quick and were up by 3 goals at halftime. The 2nd half, as you might imagine, was a snooze. I watched Honduras in the group play and they looked all right to me, so I'm thinking Mexico is really rounding into shape and is planning on winning this Cup. 

Costa Rica 0-2 Canada

Canada looked in control in a way that Canada normally does not, but I suspect Costa Rica is not at their best. Canada is a nice squad but I don't think they're gonna give Mexico much of match. 

USA 1-0 Jamaica

Jamiaca always has blazing speed and good athleticism and they used both in their full court press that kept the Americans on their heels for long stretches of the match. I thought USA countered it pretty well, held possession and moved forward effectively and for the most part kept Jamaica away from scoring chances. When USA finally got the lead in the 2nd half, they held it by maintaining effective possession down the stretch. I know that this is not USA's 1st team, I'm not sure if the other countries brought their A-team or not. This feels like a good W for USA.

Semifinals

Qatar v USA

If Qatar comes out blazing the way they did against El Salvador, USA is gonna be in some trouble. And they might still be. As dominant as Qatar was in the 1st half of that quarterfinal, I thought they whiffed on a lot of good chances...so are they the kinda team that whiffs a lot or are they they kinda team that gets up early and then farts around? I dunno. I would suggest that USA not find out. I think USA bunkers in, counters to a fast break offense, and generally just tries to keep Qatar away from goal. I could see a match where Qatar dominates possession, only for the Americans to steal the game late with athletic play...or I can also see penalty kicks. I'll take USA 1-0 in regulation (but its anyone game in OT).  

Mexico v Canada

Mexico is built for tournaments like this, Canada has already looked better than I've ever seen them in my life. Could it be that Canada is ready to announce itself in the Gold Cup world? I doubt it. I'll take Mexico 2-0. 

2021 Gold Cup Quarterfinals (predictions)

Qatar v El Salvador. Uhh....no idea. Qatar (the 2022 World Cup host) is a team worth getting to know, you will definitely see them next summer (next summer?) at the World Cup. But I didn't see any of their group games, so I got nothing. El Salvador seems like a pushover squad, but they've always got one pain in the ass dude that will steal your game if you left him. So I'll go ahead and say El Salvador 1-0. 

Mexico v Honduras. This one should be fun. I caught Mexico's draw with Trinidad (even contest, both teams had chances and whiffed) and Honduras 3-2 Panama was a fun one, lots of action all over the field. Over the years, as I've gotten ever more impressed with Mexico's on-field talent, I get less impressed with their overall team play; the steady accretion of talent has yet to make the team overall better (just like USA). Mexico is surely the better team at probably just about every position, but I doubt the talent gap is wide enough that Honduras can't snatch a W. I'll take Mexico but I expect this to be an old fashioned tussle. I'll say Mexico 2-1.  

Canada v Costa Rica. Canada's talent has steadily developed over the years but Canadian soccer has never struck fear into anyone. Costa Rica beat Guadeloupe, Suriname and Jamaica to get here, not the most overwhelming lineup but they knocked down everyone put in front of them. I gotta go with Costa Rica 2-0. 

USA v Jamaica. Like Mexico, USA had steadily improved its soccer development infrastructure over the last 20 years but I don't feel any grand shift in strategy or tactics, if the talent is so much better, why aren't we seeing it on the field? Jamaica always has speed and surprise but USA should be able to outlast them. I'll say USA 1-0.

(*) Pretty basic observations. I watched all the USA group games and a handful of others, but I'm not back on my soccer game just yet. How is World Cup '22 going to happen? Is the Sport schedule back on track...or did I celebrate prematurely?

2020-21 NBA Finals

Bucks in 6

Giannis was a monster, but more of a slow moving endurance monster tonight. Bucks got out to a quick lead then went ice cold in the 2nd and the Suns were up at halftime. The Suns weren't even playing particularly well in the 2nd, the Bucks just sucked at attacking the basket for many, many possessions. (They reminded me of Game Four of Suns at Clippers: both teams went through a long stretch of where they just could not score, neither team could finish at all, it was weird, it was like the back alley fight scene from They Live) In the 3rd the Bucks grabbed the lead back but couldn't hold it and it was tied going into the 4th. Suns tied it at 82, Bucks outscored them 23-16 from then on. The Bucks attack was just more reliable, the Suns struggled to get good shots, Giannis was 17-19 from the line (*), the Suns had no answer for any of it. 

Giannis (50pts, 16-25FG, 17-19 FTs, 14 boards, but with 2:6 a:t, uncharacteristic stat line in this Final for Giannis) was awesome again. Though even he was harried, he didn't exactly glide to his 50 tonight, he grinded through it better than anyone else could keep up with. Holiday was back to be good on D/bad on attack (**), Middleton was fine but not really reliable as a scorer, Lopez was good, Portis had moments (good and bad), Connaughton was making plays but just a wild card, Tucker did Tucker stuff. Not the most dialed-in performance but Giannis is Giannis and the world of low hanging fruit looks different to that guy. 

The Suns just ran out of gas. Paul was brilliant for two games (1,2), okay for two (3,6) and was pretty bad in two (4, 5); if he'd been brilliant for 5 games, I think the Suns could've won, but he just does not have that in him. (***). Booker was great for the most part but also had a coupla clunker games (3,6), as well; I think Booker is a big time scorer and he is their carrier for the next few years, they need another one but they've got one. I was blown away by Ayton, I think he was transformed by CP (so I'm sure Ayton is rooting for CP to return), but I was impressed enough to think he's ready to step forward (with/without CP). I was impressed with Mykal Bridges and Cam Johnson throughout the post-season, those guys make a killer tandem, they're not Tatum and Brown, but they are fine 2-way cornerstone rotation guys. Cam Payne had some nice moments (meh, ups and downs), announced himself as potential 3rd PG for a playoff team (that's not bad actually). Jae Crowder still has miles in him, he still plays pretty good defense and he's even occasionally good for a big game knocking down 3's, too. Dario Saric is probably gonna be out all next year, right? I wasn't much of a fan of Frank Kaminsky, so determined to not make mistakes that he looked like he had his eyes closed most of the time, though he did give them pretty good minutes in a choppy Game Six. 

The Bucks were the better team, Giannis the bigger better star, Bucks in 6 is the correct outcome. I originally said the Suns in 7, I thought this was a series where the home team takes every game. But after Game Four, the way the Bucks just casually snatched the game away from Paul/Booker at the end, suggested to me that CP was done and the Bucks now completely understood that they were the better team at both ends. The way the Bucks just suffocated the Suns in Game Five was the R-rated scene in this otherwise family friendly summer entertainment. Game Six was the opposite: in Game Five the Suns were good at everything and didn't come close to victory, whereas in Game Six they kinda sucked at everything but had chances to win in the 4th. The Sun had a great season, made a memorable run and were a fun team to watch while it lasted. But Game Five was the night Jrue Holiday showed up and wrecked shop, Game Six where Giannis just outlasted the field (dominated by default).

All right, so draft next week, then Summer League in August, get these Olympics (****) outta the way and then....right?  The sports schedule is back to normal, no?  NBA and NHL are back to normal pre-season, the World Series and MLS Championship gets off like clockwork, football is always just football, and then college basketball is back on track and the world of sports is back to reality....right? 

(*) I know he missed his last FT, I believe his first one, too. If I'm not mistaken, he hit 17 straight throughout the meat of the game. Pretty good for a guy that sucks at FT's. Hey, man, Tim Duncan was a surprisingly bad FT% guy that became much more reliable in the playoffs, extra points, man, every extra point matters in the playoffs. 

(**) In all six games Holiday was great on defense, he was A+ on D, he was fucking great, he was like Meryl Streep on defense. Offensively he was great in Game Five (man of the match, IMHO), but otherwise he was pretty terrible on offense. He would attack the basket, get there, then put up a lame shot, it's like he was doing 95% of the work but giving up on that last 5% and just getting horrible shots. In Game Five, he knocked down jumpers, then was able to confidently mix up his attack, but that was the only game where that worked. He knocked down 3's okay but his midrange stuff was not good and actually kinda awful. But defensively he was amazing and he had to be out there 45 minutes a night. 

(***) Okay, I'm gonna do this. I really do admire Chris Paul but I'm here to bury him. This was the best possible chance of him winning a championship and it didn't happen. No Ad, no Jamal Murray, no Kawhi, don't have to play the Jazz or the Nets, up 2-0 in the Final, dude, I'm not saying it was on a platter, but hard to imagine a better platter in CP's future. I don't mean to denigrate this run, this is way better than I ever thought Chris Paul could do--he proved me wrong but getting as far as he did. But he's also shown that even under cosmically granted circumstances, it just isn't gonna happen. If the Suns didn't win it this year with CP, I don't see that running it back makes them better next year. 

(****) Never much cared for the Olympics. As I get older I wish they'd just go away. 

2020-21 NBA Finals (after 5 games)

Game Two: Bucks 108-118 Suns

Giannis was amazing (15-22/42 pts, 12 boards), the rest of the Bucks were awful (Middleton + Holiday go 12-37 for 28 pts, yeech). Holiday was getting to the basket but not finishing, Middleton never got going at all, Lopez was all out of whack, Teague and Portis gave mostly empty minutes, Tucker did Tucker stuff. All Giannis and nothing but Giannis and that actually kept them in this game (Jrue has been great on defense all the way through, but his offense has been spotty to say the least). 

CP was amazing, Ayton was amazing, Booker was good, Crowder pitched in, Bridges was money (8-15/27pts, dang!), I kinda love Cam Johnson he's been great at all times, the Suns had a great flow to them, the team defense was workable and the rebounding was good. At home the Suns can roll points quickly and keep a lead and though it was never a blowout, the Suns controlled the game pretty well from beginning to end. 

Game Three: Suns 100-120 Bucks

Giannis goes off again (41pts, 13 boards; 6:1 ast:to, just a fucking brilliant game and he dominated Lebron-like all the way through. Giannis has gone up a level, we wondered if he could, the answer is 'yes'. We're watching it, he's blossoming, I hope he wins, frankly I'd rather see Giannis as an eternal all time badass rather than affirm that Chris Paul was everyone's secret favorite player. 

The rest of the Bucks are better, they have a killer run before halftime, Suns almost make close again in the 3rd (Bucks 74-70, 5 minutes to go in the 3rd; Bucks 46-30 from then on), Bucks cruise through the 4th to bring the series back to 2-1. 

CP was not great. Booker was literally on the bench for most of the 2nd half, never understood why...? Ayton got in foul trouble early and they found themselves stuck with more Frank Kaminsky than is good for winning basketball, Bridges struggled, Cam Payne looked out of it, Cam Johnson was good but not enough. The Suns just never got any rhythm, had a little push in the 3rd but they couldn't stay hot enough to get back into it. 

Middleton got legit hot for stretches, Jrue's defense was still great though his offense was not so much, Lopez makes sense again, Tucker does Tucker stuff, Connaughton cemented his place in the rotation, Teague gave reliable minutes. All around great performance by the Bucks, good teamwork, good individual play, the game was over fairly quick. The home team has won every game and the Bucks look firmly in control. 

Game Four: Suns 103-109 Bucks

The Suns held a nice lead through most of the game but all along it felt like it was just one well-timed Bucks run to flip the game and, yeah, Bucks grab the lead back at 97-95 with 3:08 left in the game. Bucks outscored them 12-8 from there. Easy as you please, I was waiting for the Shymalan twist at the end and there it was like clockwork.  

Giannis was mellow but still a positive performance, Middleton went off, Jrue's defense is still great and his offense not so much, Connaughton is now clearly the guy, Portis looks good enough to get minutes, Teague again is reliable (if not a true plus player), Tucker does Tucker stuff. My dumb hot take: Brook Lopez has been great and the criticism of him is reading it all wrong; the problem with Lopez coming high to guard CP isn't that he can't guard CP, he's been fine, Lopez gets really wide. he can't stop CP's jumper but he pushes him away from the basket just fine; it's that pulling Lopez on to CP leaves Ayton being marked by Holiday or Teague or Tucker and that's useless, CP's gonna beat that every time. The criticism is misplacing the inefficiency with Lopez on CP rather than Lopez not on Ayton, Lopez is the Bucks best choice against Ayton, not against Paul. Seems to me in Three and Four they seemed to have solved that (though in the 1st half of Five it seems like Lopez is trying to lure Paul toward the basket to cut off Ayton's path; feels like CP is gonna drain a million 15 footers tonight)

CP was not good (felt like he worked hard for his 10points, 7,asts, 5 turnover), did not have his usual command of the game, made a coupla bad turnovers down the stretch, a most uncharacteristic CP game. Booker was phenomenal (42pts on 17-28), clearly he was the work horse tonight, despite foul trouble, despite a phantom no-call that kept him from fouling out, then another, then another, the refs refused to let Booker leave! Ayton was a monster on the boards and effective at rim defense, but didn't get into the offensive flow (the difference betw CP and Cam Payne), Crowder and Johnson had moments but not enough. Payne was 50/50, Bridges wasn't effective tonight. 

Asst:to. Bucks 22/5; Suns 18/17; a Chris Paul squad with 17 turnovers?

I felt coming into this series that the home team would win every game, its just a time honored NBA truism that big stars get the calls at home and role players play better at home, this felt like one of those matchups, felt like the refs would play along (and I think they have). 

But after the Bucks finish here in Game Four, I think the winner of Game Five can win Game Six. The Bucks can win in Phoenix and then finish it back home in Game Six or they can shoot their wad in Phoenix while the Suns savvy vet the championship right out from under them back in Milwaukee. But I think the Bucks are better situated to make that happen. I think the Bucks are the better team.

Game Five: Bucks 123-119 Suns 

The Suns surged right away to a 32-16 lead early in the 2nd; Bucks countered with a 26-10 run to tie the game at 42. It was the Bucks' game pretty much from then on. Bucks were kinda pounding the Suns for most of the 2nd half, Suns cut it close late in the 4th, but couldn't grab the lead, even though the Bucks were missing FT's late. Holiday was great, Middleton was great, Giannis was just kinda B+ Giannis tonight but that was plenty. This is the kind of balanced attack that Marty Schottenheimer preached of. 

CP was not getting the calls in the 1st half, felt like he was playing for contact and the refs weren't buying it (surprised to see CP still not getting the calls in the 4th). Booker was good (40pts on 17-33, still the work horse but he wasn't quite as reliable as last time) but he just couldn't get past the Bucks' big 3. Crowder was money (he's the third Morris twin: if he's hot in 1st he's gonna be good tonight; if he's cold in the 1st, he better be getting some rebounds), Johnson, Bridges, Ayton were fine, Cam Payne was kinda 50/50 (some nice, some not so nice), no one played badly and no one reflects ill in the box score. When a good team plays well and still loses handily, that's a bad sign. 

Holiday announced early that he would be making his shots tonight and he did (27pts on 12-20 and 13 assts and he brought the defense the whole night); Holiday was a monster tonight, I thought he was the man of the match. Middleton was great, too, (29pts on 12-23), knocked down tough shots, bodied hard with Booker when need be, an all round confident reliable filler upper performance. Giannis was cool (a very easygoing 32pts/9boards/6:0 asst:to; casually brilliant tonight), he's taken the next step: he can exert force without dominating the possession, distorting the defensive rotations or interrupting anyone else's rhythm. He is effortlessly useful and never detracts from anyone (that's his super power: Giannis is still Giannis no matter who his teammates are, the better they are the further he'll carry them).  

Asst:to. Bucks 23:8; Suns 26:11. Suns did not get blown out on this tonight, in fact I recall so many bad Bucks giveaways in this game that I'm kinda shocked they only had 8 turnovers. Stocks: Bucks had 8, Suns had 14. Team rebounds: Bucks 37, Suns 35. Suns shot 13-19 from 3pt, 10-11 from FT line. The Suns didn't do anything badly in this game, the stats are pretty even, but they were never in this game in the 2nd half (even as they chipped away at the lead, I never thought they were gonna pull off the comeback the way the Bucks did in Game Four). 

The Suns, man, I think they've peaked. You look at this box score and nobody had a bad game, everyone contributed and it wasn't enough. I think CP had two good games in him, perhaps one more but that's not enough now. I think Booker has three good games in him, but going for 40 tonight didn't get the W. Ayton pitched in a very comfortable 20/10 but it didn't get them a single lead in the 4th quarter. Johnson and Bridges and Crowder were fine, even Cam Payne has a nice looking box score. The Suns playing well did not win the game at home (did not get the calls at home), that's not good.  

The Bucks have announced themselves as the better team. They did that at the beginning of Game Three, the end of Game Four, and in Game Five it was snatching the lead before halftime when it felt like it might be a Suns blowout. 

I initially had Suns in 7, gotta flip that to Bucks in 6. I think this is it.