13 Rules: Random NBA Thoughts

NBA World Champion Boston Celtics!

Congratulations to the World Champion Boston Celtics. They were the best team throughout the regular season and the playoffs. Their talent shined through throughout the year and their depth was obvious as evidenced by when they lost Kristaps Porzingis and didn’t miss a beat. The one negative note, in the modern NBA the best team can be beaten by forty points and then come back and win the next game. You would never expect the champs to do this.
Teams are usually copycats of teams that have success. Does this mean teams will try to put together a group that all can shoot threes and be able to switch defensively. This includes their big man who can guard anyone and shoot threes.
As for Luka Doncic, he’s a great player nobody can doubt this. For him to take the next step and win the championship he has to leave the refs alone and give a better effort defensively. I know he was hurt and uses a lot of energy carrying Dallas’ offense but Boston continued to search him out when the Celtics had the ball. In today’s NBA it’s hard to hide a poor defender especially in the playoffs.
For Dallas to take the next step they need to improve at two spots. P.J. Washington is a good player but may be better suited coming of the bench. Derrick Jones is a good defender but he also should be coming off the bench. To get through the west again they need more from those positions.

More NBA Random Thoughts

JJ Redick is now the coach of the Lakers. Needless to say the Lakers are taking a gamble hiring him. For him to be successful the Lakers need more talent. If they don’t get any better they look to be a play in team again in a deep western conference.

Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso is a surprise. When you look at that trade you wonder who else the Bulls got in the trade. Unless I’m missing something the Bulls will have a tough time defending with that roster. In the playoffs Giddey had a tough time staying on the court because teams were forcing him to defend and he struggled.

Pascal Siakam getting the max contract was an interesting move. He and Tyrese Haliburton now are Indiana’s max players. Are they as good as other team’s max players, I don’t think so. I know it is hard to attract free agents to Indianapolis. The Pacers need to do a good job developing their other players and hope to keep those players on the cheap. Indiana is not known for going over the salary cap.

I’ve read that Tommy Henrich who played for the Yankees back in the thirties and forties was called “old reliable”. In the NBA we should be using that name for Al Horford.