It’s Thursday, June 12 – I was traveling last week and wasn’t able to hit you with your weekly NBA knowledge. Luckily, in my stead, my editor was here to talk about Drake and Tyler the Creator.
The Raptors woke up this morning with the 3-2 series lead, and the best player in the world in New York City for surgery to repair his Achilles tendon. Let’s start there.
1. Do the Warriors Have a Chance?
Fuck yeah, they have a chance. They’re the Warriors.
Look, I know it doesn’t look great that before the series started, I was all over Golden State. But this thing isn’t over, and we’re now back to Cali Game 6 tonight.
Steph hasn’t been the problem. He’s averaging a nice 32-6-6 line, though his accuracy from before the arc could be a bit sharper (under 36%). But Steph doesn’t exist to not be the problem. He exists to be one of the best basketball players in the world. With no Durant, he needs to step up and demand the ball. I know what you’re thinking – Steph scored 47 in Game 3 and they still lost. Well, what are the chances they lose two games in the series where Steph sniffs 50? Low – very low.
I expect the Warriors to take Game 6, and then head back to Canada for a Game 7 showdown. That being said, it’s a bit frightening that the Warriors haven’t won a home game yet this series, but you gotta believe. The Warriors are steamed about the disrespect shown to Kevin Durant, as well as the rest of their team. Never underestimate an all-time team when it’s angry.
2. The Coaching Divide
I expected Steve Kerr to dance circles around Nick Nurse in this series, and it really hasn’t happened. Kerr’s pedigree speaks for itself – eight total rings, three as a coach. But he clearly hasn’t been able to get the most out of his team, injuries or not.
Sometimes it’s hard to judge a coach and the impact they have on a game-to-game basis. But every once in a while, it’s easy. In Game 5, the Raptors had the ball and a 103-97 lead with 3:28 remaining as Fred VanVleet dribbled the ball upcourt. Scotiabank arena was going bonkers. But for some reason, Nurse called a timeout – Kawhi airballed a jumper after the break, and Golden State went on a 9-0 run. Horrible decision, and yet I’m still not sure that Kerr has been the better coach!
Side note while we’re on Kerr – I was absolutely shocked to hear Kerr (and therefore the Warriors) sticking to his we thought it was the calf story regarding Durant’s Achilles tear. He called Durant’s Achilles injury “a complete shock” and also added that “he was cleared to play by everybody involved. Now, would we go back and do it over again? Damn right. But that’s easy to say after the results.”
It’s a bad look for the Warriors that they put Durant back out there. Expect to hear plenty more about this throughout the offseason, but that’s a different story. If you want to hear my thoughts on the Durant situation, see here.
3. Yeah, yeah, and the Raptors
I suppose I should give the Raptors some credit. Their bench is as good as advertised, and Kawhi’s been Kawhi – he’s averaging 30 points, 10.6 boards and 4.4 assists. While I didn’t buy into the Raptors winning this series, at least I said to parlay Toronto money line and Kawhi as the MVP if you wanted to take them.
But does anybody actually think the Raptors are the best team in the NBA? I feel like there are several teams that could’ve beaten this Golden State squad that frankly seems disjointed and frustrated. One of those teams resides in Philadelphia. I digress.
Perhaps I’m not giving the Raptors enough credit for being the reason that the Warriors don’t look like themselves. Even without Durant, the Warriors smacked the shit out of the Rockets and Blazers. But I don’t know, something still doesn’t feel right about Toronto being crowned the kings of the NBA this year. I’m probably still just bitter.
4. Five Bold Predictions for the Offseason
Probably too many lists, but whatever.
1. Nobody signs Carmelo Anthony
2. The biggest surprise free agency player will be the Orlando Magic
3. Look for the Pistons to desperately play the trade market behind the scenes. They suck
4. Pat Riley steps down
5. Even with a title, Kawhi leaves Toronto
5. Top 10 List – Overheard During Durant’s Surgery
Durant had surgery to repair his torn right Achilles tendon in New York yesterday. Here were the snippets we were able to gather from the operating room.
10. “You said he’s a tennis player, right?”
9. “You catch that ‘Mama’s Boy’ tattoo?”
8. “Kobe had the same injury, but he was way older. And cooler”
7. “We’ll just tell him what we tell everybody – Smile and say, ‘You’ll be better than ever!’”
6. “Mr. Dolan said to do a good job, but not too good a job”
5. “I can’t believe he’s on Medicaid”
4. “You know, technically, Greg Oden got a ring first”
3. “Oh, I’m not a doctor. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!”
2. “Kind of looks like Laffy Taffy, doesn’t it?”
1. “Man, I can’t believe they let this guy play”
