Layup Lines – Page 10 – Syndication Server

Layup Lines: NBA’s heightened ‘transition take foul’ penalty is a great idea…if the refs let it be

This can be either really good or really bad.

Welcome to Layup Lines, our daily NBA newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon.

There aren’t many things in sports better than an NBA game played without a lot of whistles and play stoppages. Add in two of the league’s best teams clicking at a high level, and I’m locked in.

Lately, though, those games seem fewer and farther between. Between the annoying replay reviews of flagrant fouls and players flopping to draw personal fouls, it feels like the referees are as much a part of the game as anything — so much more than they need to be.

That’s why news Tuesday that the NBA’s board of governors approved plans to heighten the penalty for the “transition take foul” was great to hear. Beginning next season, a transition take foul will result in one free throw and the ball for the team fouled (except for in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime).

This will hopefully encourage teams to stop fouling immediately after turnovers — and maybe even attempt to get back on defense. More importantly, it could eliminate one of the frequent ways game flow is interrupted while also increasing exciting fastbreak opportunities.

More chances to see Ja Morant or Anthony Edwards or Zion Williamson one-on-one with the rim … yes, please.

But I must caution, there is one potential pitfall to this rule. The NBA says the transition take foul doesn’t apply if the defender is making a legitimate play on the ball. But as we know, take fouls happen quickly, sometimes immediately after someone gains possession. If referees aren’t able to make that determination in real time — something they haven’t been able to do with flagrant fouls — it could lead to more instant replays instead fastbreaks. That would turn what should be a positive into a negative.

For our sake, let’s hope the referees don’t get this one wrong too.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

The No. 4 pick in this year’s draft to the Sacramento Kings, Keegan Murray has been absolutely going off in Summer League. He’s scored at least 20 points in five of six games this summer. The other 13 lottery picks have six such games combined!

My guy Bryan Kalbrosky has more on how Murray is using this summer to show he’s a serious Rookie of the Year contender.

“I’m particularly encouraged by Murray because of the self-creation we have seen from him as a shooter. Murray predominantly shot off the catch while in college, but like Holmgren, we have seen him use the bounce more often as a pro.

Murray has connected on 9 jump shots off the dribble, per Synergy, compared to 13 through all of last season. This is how he is finishing 24.1 percent of his offensive possessions during Summer League, nearly triple his rate as a sophomore at Iowa.

All of that, of course, is without mentioning his defensive playmaking and athleticism.”

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP

Washington Mystics (-205) at Phoenix Mercury (+4.5, -200), O/U 158.5, 10 PM ET

Elena Delle Donne is enjoying her best stretch of the season, scoring 26 points in consecutive games for the Mystics. Both resulted in double-digit road wins, so I think they’ll be able to get it done again in Phoenix. The Mercury have lost three of their last four.

Shootaround

— Hawkeyes wire has more on how fortunate Keegan Murray feels to have landed in Sacramento, from his interview with Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes.

— The NBA offseason is far from over, so HoopsHype has a ranking of the top 10 trade rumors.

— Speaking of trades, here are 9 wild Donovan Mitchell trades from the Trade Machine.

[mm-video type=video id=01g7z0v1prxc9refhehb playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g7z0v1prxc9refhehb/01g7z0v1prxc9refhehb-2cd4fc6d14c936decf5c6ef20c17c78c.jpg]

[listicle id=1923674]

Please, Knicks: Don’t trade R.J. Barrett for Donovan Mitchell!

Please don’t. Signed, a Knicks fan.

Charles Curtis here, and that means I get to use the newsletter to push my New York Knicks fandom.

This time, though, it’s very important: The talk that the Utah Jazz are open to possibly trading Donovan Mitchell has gotten louder, and it feels like the Knicks could be in the running given their trade assets and the fact that he grew up in New York.

But I’m begging the Knicks: If they do pull off the move for the All-Star, there’s no way they should include the emerging R.J. Barrett in any discussions.

It feels like the 22-year-old is just scratching the surface with his talent. In Year 3, he averaged 20.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.0 apg, and he hit two threes a game. Again: He’s 22. He’s a three-year pro. The Knicks haven’t had a young cornerstone like that in forever.

Mitchell, of course, is an electrifying talent out of the backcourt. But, no, he’s not worth dealing someone like Barrett who could still develop into a star.

Thank goodness there’s this report from SNY’s Ian Begley: “For example: People in touch with the club recently said New York has had no interest in trading RJ Barrett in any deal.”

Whew. I hope that keeps being the case. Because going all-in like that AND giving away Barrett and picks while not having quite a championship-caliber team is the exact way the franchise could set itself back should there be, say, injuries to Mitchell or problems elsewhere on the roster.

OK, thanks for listening. On to the good stuff:

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Kevin Durant took to Twitter, as he does a lot, to ask fans, “Did u add to your legacy today? If so, what did you do?” And our Bryan Kalbrosky wrote about the funny responses to that while also noting how KD was not-so-subtly using that as a way to call out people who question his legacy:

All of these one-dimensional hot takes exist without nuance and seemingly exist just to stir the pot rather than push the conversation forward. It’s unfair, boring, and lacks consideration of the fact that we are talking about people’s actual lives.

KD called as much into question, asking folks on Twitter what *they* did to add to their legacy yesterday. He also wanted them to define how they did it. No skirting by with vagueness here, buddy!

Fans constantly hear the word legacy without ever stopping to think about what it means or how silly it would be if the same question was asked of their own life.

And now they have stopped to think about it, I hope!

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Oklahoma City Thunder (-3.5, 160) vs. Sacramento Kings (+3.5, +125), O/U 172.5, 8 PM ET

Chet Holmgren. Keegan Murray. Can’t wait. Taking the over.

Shootaround

— Bryan Kalbrosky got to attend the NBA Draft, and it was there that he spoke to some of the rookies-to-be on the red carpet. Check out their answer to the “he’s a 10 but” meme with hoops-related questions.

— Someone bet $10,000 on the Kings to win a title. I like Sacramento, but not THAT much.

— Check out Hoops Hype’s Trade Value Rankings, with the top 100 in the NBA ranked.

Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).

NBA Summer League has the greatest exhibition games in sports and it isn’t close

Did you ever stop to think about this? It’s true!

Greetings, hoops friends. Charles Curtis here, and it’s been a while since I’ve written this, so I wanted to share a silly but very true thought that crossed my head this morning.

I was watching another round of Summer League highlights, marveling at all the rookies — Chet Holmgren, WOW! and did you see Jaden Ivey’s debut? Intriguing!! — showing why they were first rounders.

It hit me as I was staring at those highlights on my phone: I’m watching an exhibition game. In a professional sport. And I’m hooked. As our Prince Grimes wrote in this space on Thursday, we’ve got to relax when it comes to having takes off Summer League, because who knows? In real NBA action, Chet might not be the GOAT, exactly.

But! It’s the most fun! We get to see Jabari Smith Jr. go RIGHT at Paolo Banchero. We get a first look at Keegan Murray and can see a world where that huge game translates into becoming the key to the Kings’ success this season.

With NFL preseason games? It’s a series or a couple more of watchable football at best. In the NHL? Meh, we’ll wait for the real thing. Major League Baseball might be No. 2, but I think that’s an in-person thing, where going to Florida or Arizona and seeing the stars up close is kind of cool.

Did you ever think about that? I never did until this morning! Thought I’d share. On to some more basketball goodness:

The Tip-Off

Speaking of Ivey: Our Bryan Kalbrosky broke down what he loved about the rookie guard’s Pistons debut: He saw some playmaking, which is promising!

What impressed me most about Ivey’s professional debut during NBA 2K23 Summer League was, in fact, his playmaking. Watch the first play of the game, above, to see Ivey curl off a screen for an alley-oop lob to fellow rookie Jalen Duren.

It was incredibly encouraging for me to watch Ivey continue to use his speed and force to drive towards the basket, then kick it out to his teammates on the perimeter or the midrange.

With his explosiveness, Ivey will draw so much gravity his rim pressure will bring defenders with him towards the basket. As those opponents give him the attention he deserves, teammates including Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey will have more space to shoot wide-open attempts.

I’m loving what the Pistons are building right now.

Shootaround

— LOL Steph Curry mocked Charles Barkley’s chances at the American Century Championship: “Hell no!”

— Jimmy Butler had a hilarious reply to PJ Tucker’s Instagram post saying farewell to the Heat.

— Some backup big men the Celtics could use their $17.1 million traded player exception on.

— Here’s every NBA 2K cover star since 1999.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Layup Lines: Your annual reminder to stay calm, it’s just Summer League

Let’s just enjoy the basketball without the hyperbole.

The NBA 2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas tips off tonight, as the other 22 teams begin to join the eight that have already been active in the Utah and California leagues.In the past week, we were treated to several rookies putting up awesome performances, including: No. 4 draft pick Keegan Murray going off for 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, No. 12 pick Jalen Williams combining for 33 points on 13-of-20 shooting through two games and even No. 27 pick Nikola Jovic scoring 25 on 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.

But no one garnered more excitement than Chet Holmgren. In his first game, on Tuesday, the 7-footer scored 23 points (7-of-9 FG) with seven rebounds, four assists and a summer-league record six blocks. People were absolutely losing their minds over his jaw-dropping performance.

Apparently on a GOAT track already, Holmgren’s odds to win Rookie of the Year started to move after just that one game. He even became the favorite at one sportsbook – before we even had a chance to see top overall pick Paolo Banchero or No. 3 pick Jabari Smith.

Listen, I just need everybody to relax. Holmgren is absolutely a unicorn and it was fun to see some of the things he can bring to the table. But this is summer league. He’s not the first to have a mind-blowing game, and he won’t be the last. We’re almost guaranteed to get a few more incredible games, and some of those players won’t sniff an actual NBA roster. The level of competition just simply doesn’t compare to what players will see in an actual NBA game.

The Magic and Rockets get things started in Vegas tonight, which means Banchero and Smith are likely to make their debuts against one another. It’ll be exciting, and we might even get a glimpse of some of the things that made them top draft picks. What we won’t know after tonight is who’s going to the Hall of Fame. Let’s just enjoy the basketball without the hyperbole.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

I had a chance to chat with Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton about the team’s rebuild, his expanded role on the floor and his new partnership off the court. But one fun anecdote Haliburton shared with me was about a bet he made that really could’ve altered the direction of his life.

He had a two-month timeframe to land his first college offer. And if it didn’t come, he would’ve played football.

“My freshman or sophomore year of high school, I hadn’t got a Division I offer yet, I hadn’t got a scholarship offer yet. And everybody was just sweating me to play football, along with our football coach at the time. So I made a bet with him that if I didn’t have a scholarship offer in the next two months that I would go play football — and I did not want to play football at all. I really didn’t know if I was going to get a scholarship offer, and then I got one.”

Haliburton ended up going to Iowa State, but that first offer was from IUPUI — in Indiana. So the Pacers might have the local university to thank for putting Haliburton on a path to become their point guard today.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

New York Liberty (+160) at Phoenix Mercury (-4.5, -200), O/U 164.5, 10 PM ET

I’m picking the Mercury to cover the spread in a win. They’ll have to slow down Sabrina Ionescu, who just dropped a historic triple-double in a win over the Aces last night, but they should be up to it at home against a team playing the second night of a back-to-back.

Shootaround

— The Lakers may have pulled off the sneaky-best move of this NBA offseason

— Here’s a list of the 9 best free agents remaining

— Rudy Gobert gave a hilarious shoutout to Timberwolves fans at his introductory press conference

— You may have seen a Kenneth Lofton Jr. taking the floor for the Grizzlies in the summer league. And no, his dad isn’t who you’re thinking of

[listicle id=1929033]

[mm-video type=video id=01g7d0mx2d5535rgycdj playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g7d0mx2d5535rgycdj/01g7d0mx2d5535rgycdj-1df1907cab4ce44dbd06fa4f8ce89a05.jpg]

Layup Lines: Kevin Durant should just embrace the hate and go back to the Warriors

Durant reportedly wants out of Brooklyn. So go get that old thing back.

What’s good y’all. It’s Prince here for another Layup Lines, and boy did free agency day get started with a bang. Kevin Durant reportedly requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, and I can’t say I saw that coming.

But now that it’s out there, the question obviously becomes where does he go? There are reports out there that the Suns and Heat are two of the preferred destinations for Durant, but can I interest you in a Golden State Warriors reunion?

Draymond Green has been taking heat the last couple days for saying the Warriors wouldn’t have won another championship after 2015 if Durant didn’t join the team two years later. And it’s understandable why, considering he framed it in a way to minimize Stephen Curry’s greatness. And they literally came within a game of repeating in 2016.

Regardless, I understood what he was trying to say and didn’t think it was so outlandish. Before they even had a chance to blow that 3-1 lead against the Cavs, they had to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the previous round against Durant’s Thunder. They were clearly beatable.

But now, after winning their third title since, I think they’re especially vulnerable. Don’t get me wrong, the Warriors are good, they’re the champs. But they aren’t infallible. Green and Klay Thompson aren’t the same players they once were. Curry had to play out of his mind for them to beat the Celtics. Andrew Wiggins exceeded expectations, but he’ll need to take it up another level if they want to repeat. They’re also relying on a lot of young guys to develop. But why hope when you could just package a few of those assets to Brooklyn for the man Wiggins replaced?

Wiggins is coming up on a contract year, and the Warriors will have an interesting decision to make for someone who’s paid like a top option but isn’t one. They could get ahead of that now, and bring back someone who is — assuming KD is interested. Pretending to know what KD wants is where this whole thing gets tricky. But he can keep chasing something that replicates the success he had in Golden State, to no avail, or he can just go get the real thing back and flip a bird to the haters.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Since Durant news is the news of the day, let’s stay there for a moment. Brooklyn is sure to get a nice haul in whatever trade package they accept for the all-world talent. And more than likely, that’s going to include a big name coming back to the Nets. But who could they realistically land in such a deal?

My colleague Bryan Kalbrosky scoured through a few rosters to answer that question, starting with one of KD’s reported preferred destinations, the Phoenix Suns, and what he had to say might surprise you.

“Might we see a sign-and-trade involving former No. 1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton? Do we even know if Ayton wants to play for the Nets? He would need to agree to a sign and trade. If he signs an offer sheet elsewhere, he is no longer eligible to be traded.

Additionally, would the organization even be willing to include Defensive Player of the Year candidate Mikal Bridges or lengthy sharpshooter Cam Johnson? There are a lot of factors at play with this one and it could get a bit chaotic.

The biggest question people aren’t asking, though: Are the Suns bold enough to potentially even trade Devin Booker if they could get KD? As good as he is, I’m not so sure I’d consider Booker untouchable. KD is so, so much better.”

Trading Booker would be a bold move by the Suns but one that would require them to sacrifice fewer assets and depth pieces. It’s really interesting to consider.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Atlanta Dream (+200) at New York Liberty (-5.5, -250), O/U 158.5, 7 PM ET

Playing one another for the second time in the last week, the Dream and Liberty are teams going in completely opposite directions. Atlanta has lost seven of its last eight games while New York has won seven of its last 10, including the 12-point victory over the Dream in its last game. Well-rested since then, I expect a similar result for New York, so I’m picking the Liberty to cover 5.5 points.

Shootaround

— While Kevin Durant news broke the internet, the Nets traded for the Jazz’s Royce O’Neale.

— A time like this calls for the Trade Machine. And some of these fan trades are just ridiculous.

— With free agency upon us, here’s a look at the 15 highest paid players for next season.

— Anthony Edwards is good at everything, including football. His skills left Tom Brady impressed.

[listicle id=1923812]

[mm-video type=video id=01g6tgzf8cc8a1e4gmpc playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g6tgzf8cc8a1e4gmpc/01g6tgzf8cc8a1e4gmpc-5304c6a6e08a007aa02ef779d83b9e8a.jpg]

The Knicks probably tampered a little bit to get Jalen Brunson, but NBA fans should be OK with that

The Knicks might be tampering for Jalen Brunson, but that’s not that big of a deal.

Welcome to Layup Lines, our daily NBA newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of this offseason’s NBA action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon.

What’s good, family. It’s your boy Sykes here with another edition of Layup Lines. Free agency is the talk of the town right now around the league — more specifically, Jalen Brunson.

It seems like the Mavericks guard is about to be a former Mavericks guard. Brunson is reportedly going to have a 4-year, $110 million offer from the Knicks waiting on him, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports.

After their trade with the Pistons on Wednesday where the shipped Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, a 2nd round pick and $6 million (!!!!!!) in cash, the Knicks have cleared about $30 million in cap space to use on Brunson.

It’s pretty clear at this point this is a done deal. Everyone is reporting it from Marc Stein to ESPN to The Athletic and more. Brunson’s days as a Maverick seem to be over.

Now, if you’re a Mavericks fan, you’re probably a bit peeved right now. Free agency doesn’t even start for another day. But it feels like Brunson’s contract with the Knicks has already essentially been negotiated — he just needs to sign on the dotted line.

Let’s be honest about it — the Knicks probably tampered here. Maybe it was through his agent, Drew Morrison, who works at the Creative Arts Agency where Knicks Team President Leon Rose used to head the basketball division. Or maybe it was through his father, Rick Brunson, who the team recently hired. I’m not sure.

This is an NBA problem — we’ve seen it through the years. Most recently, we saw what happened with the Bulls and Heat with Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry, respectively.

But here’s my thing: I think tampering is fine! Especially this sort of tampering. The season is over. All we’re doing is twiddling our thumbs and waiting for free agency to start, anyway. Why not get it popping early?

I get there’s decorum and you want to make sure teams get a true first swing at their own players. But the Mavericks had every chance to retain Brunson — at the beginning of the season with a better extension offer and in January before his extension deadline. They could even beat out the Knicks here if they wanted to, though it’d come at a hefty price.

At this point, this just is what it is. The Mavericks can’t be upset at anyone but themselves here if Brunson leaves. That’s on them.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Candace Parker just made some pretty huge WNBA history — again, my dude Cole Huff writes.

She’s the triple-double queen in the W already. But she also just became the first player to ever reach some pretty impressive milestones in her career. Cole has more here.

“Last week, Parker became the first player in WNBA history to record three career triple-doubles. On Wednesday, she became the only WNBA player to reach 6,000 points, 3,000 rebounds and 1,500 assists in a career after dishing a sweet, no-look dime to Kahleah Copper on the fastbreak.”

That’s pretty awesome stuff, man. Shoutout to Candace for continuing to grow her legend.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Storm (-1.5, -105) vs. Aces (-115), O/U 232.5, 10 PM ET

The Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces are two of the teams most think could make a legitimate run to the WNBA Finals. The Aces have been the clear-cut best team in the W all season long with three legitimate MVP candidates on the roster in A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young. I’m taking the Aces +1.5 pretty easily here.

Shootaround

— The 5 free agents that might be great steals this offseason, including Gary Payton II

— The Monte Morris trade between the Wizards and Nuggets broke an obscure NBA record

— Here’s a Summer League roster tracker for every team in the NBA.

— The Kyrie Irving situation in Brooklyn isn’t quite over just yet.

If we must have a draft for the NBA, can we not spoil it?

What’s the rush?

What’s up y’all. It’s Prince here for Layup Lines, and I want to admit something here as we get ready for tonight’s NBA Draft: I’m not a fan of drafts.

That’s right, I formally declare myself a member of Team No Drafts. I’m just not a fan of the concept. But that’s an argument for another day. The reality is that drafts exist. And as they are, they can sometimes make for decent television – which is why they’ll probably always be here.

But you know what ruins that television product? When you already know what’s going to happen. And that’s my most immediate issue with the NBA Draft. When the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets make picks 1, 2 and 3 tonight, there will be little to no suspense. We already know what’s going to happen thanks to Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA insider for the network that broadcasts the draft.

Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero. Those are the picks, in that order. We suspected they might be, but a report from Woj this morning before I even had my first cup of coffee all but confirmed it.

Now, you may be thinking, “But there’s still 55 more picks to be made – 11 more in the lottery.” And you’re right. But many of those will also be reported on Twitter before they happen – likely by Woj and his fellow insider Shams Charania.

Now, I don’t necessarily blame those guys for breaking the news they’re privy to. The game is the game, and it isn’t limited to the NBA. But that doesn’t mean I have to like the game. It robs the draft of a lot of intrigue. But hey, maybe while they’re at it, they’ll drop a few trades on the timeline to spice things up.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

We’ll get a little more familiar with the prospects in tonight’s draft as they’re featured on the broadcast and as we see them take the floor in the months and years to come. But my colleague Bryan Kalbrosky’s interview series is great place to start your introduction.

His conversation with France’s Ousmane Dieng went live today, and while the 19-year-old has a lot of room to grow, he more than earned his projected lottery status as a pro in Australia.

“It was difficult at first. Australia is really far from France. But it made me grow as a man. I’m more mature and more mentally strong. It helped me a lot. I was the youngest player in the league. I had to earn my minutes. I had to earn my position with the team. I was a hard worker. With grown men and pros, everything is faster and quicker. It was more physical. The players are so good. I had to make decisions quickly. I progressed a lot.”

Dieng, who named Kobe Bryant as one of the first players he watched, said he hopes to be an MVP one day. It’ll be fun to see how these players with such high hopes and dreams pan out in the future and which ones develop into the stars people believe they can be.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Chicago Sky (-190) vs. Los Angeles Sparks (+4.5, +155), O/U 173.5, 10:30 PM ET

In their first game since dropping 104 points in the largest comeback win in WNBA history, the Sky face a Sparks squad that simply bleeds points. Only one team allows more points than LA’s 87.3 opponent average, and the Sparks play at a pace that allows them to score too. So I’m looking for this game to hit the over. These teams scored 176 points in regulation of their first meeting, which went to overtime.

Shootaround

— The answer to just about any question you could have about tonight’s NBA Draft is here in For The Win’s NBA Draft Guide 2022.

— And here’s a fun game to get you ready the draft: 7 bets that have nothing to do with who gets picked.

— Sportsbooks had to scramble after the Woj bomb on the top three picks.

— If you struggle with the rigged carnival basketball games, don’t worry. So does the greatest shooter ever, Steph Curry.

[mm-video type=video id=01g691yg1yf4z5fkr462 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g691yg1yf4z5fkr462/01g691yg1yf4z5fkr462-a0de3b1ff331f53b4cae69c1b3760325.jpg]

[listicle id=1916621]

The Warriors may have won the Finals, but the drama is just beginning with the NBA

The NBA never sleeps, y’all.

What’s good, family. It’s Sykes, back again for today’s edition of Layup Lines.

The Warriors are NBA champions. They’ve reached the mountaintop yet again and showed off quite a bit while doing it.

Steph Curry pointed at his ring finger in the middle of the game. Draymond Green wore black to the Celtics’ “funeral” in Game 6. Klay Thompson is throwing barbs at players who don’t have anything to do with anything. The Dubs are back, man.

Just like that, the NBA’s regular season has ended. But there’s still plenty of drama left to unfold with the league. Almost nothing is certain with the league’s offseason. There are a ton of mysteries still left to solve.

Don’t look now, but the NBA draft is in just a week. There’s a ton of mystery outside of the top 3 picks that will be Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren, and Paolo Banchero in some sort of order.

On top of that, a number of players could be traded during or after the draft. We’re talking Rudy Gobert, John Collins and more. We’ve already seen a couple of names on the move — JaMychal Green and Christian Wood, to be specific. We’ll almost certainly see more.

And after that? That’s when we dive into free agency. Bradley Beal, Zach LaVine and more big names might actually be available this offseason. It could be an absolute madhouse.

Aside from where those names will go, we’ll also see what teams around the league are going to do. There are a number of fascinating questions we need answers to. How will the Celtics improve? Will the Lakers trade Russell Westbrook? Will the Nets trade Kyrie Irving? Are the Bucks going to reload? Who will the Warriors keep around?

We’ll get the answers to all of these questions and then some, basically, all within the next calendar month. It’ll be an absolute whirlwind.

But it’ll be fun, too. And I can’t wait to dive into it with you all.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Enough about the offseason, though. Let’s talk a bit about the Warriors reaching the mountaintop again. They’ve done something truly special.

Somehow, thanks to a postgame adrenaline spike, I managed to cobble together a few words after Game 6 to try and properly contextualize what this team has done. Basically, they’ve become this era’s San Antonio Spurs. And that’s absolutely incredible.

“Let’s run it down. They’ve been to 6 NBA Finals in the last 8 years and they’ve won 4 of them. LeBron James is the only force in the NBA that can even think about claiming to be as dominant.

It doesn’t stop there. We saw them eclipse those same aforementioned Spurs in these NBA Finals. During this series, the Warriors’ big 3 of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green officially passed the Spurs’ big 3 of Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan for the most NBA Finals wins by a trio in the last 30 years, per Yahoo! Sports. They now have 21 total.”

Since 2015, the Warriors have been absolutely dominating the league. Each iteration of this team has done something special no matter how you slice it. Pre-Kevin Durant, with Durant, post-Durant. It doesn’t matter.

All they’ve done is win. And you’ve got to tip your cap to that.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Dallas Wings (-5.5, -230) vs. Phoenix Mercury (+180), O/U 169.5, 8 PM ET

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Skylar Diggins-Smith and the Phoenix Mercury are heading into Dallas winning four of their last five games with Smith shooting nearly 50% from the floor while averaging 19.3 points per game. On the other end, the Wings are struggling. They’ve lost 4 straight and are looking to get right at home. They should be highly motivated, but I’m taking the Mercury outright in this one.

Shootaround

— Steph Curry doesn’t forget anything. Somebody let Kendrick Perkins know that.

— Remember the dude who got the Celtics championship banner tattoo? Yeah, he’s leaning into it.

— This Warriors’ championship hits different. Jeff Zilgitt does an amazing job of diving into why.

— What the Warriors winning a title means for the rest of the NBA.

That’s all, folks! Happy Juneteenth. Have an incredible weekend.

Sue Bird’s career accolades are mind-blowing but this one stat is the most impressive

Bird announced the 2022 WNBA season will be her last.

What’s up y’all. It’s Prince here for Layup Lines, and before we get into tonight’s Game 6, let’s talk about Sue Bird, who announced today she’s retiring at the end of this WNBA season. It’ll mark the end of a truly legendary career, so I pulled up a few stats to highlight how great she’s been, and man, these are truly mind-blowing.

Bird, who was drafted by the Seattle Storm with the first overall pick of the 2002 draft, leads the WNBA in all-time career games, minutes and assists. She’s also second in career 3-pointers, third in assists per game and top 10 in total points and win shares. That’s not to mention what the four-time champion has done in postseason and Olympic play.

The stats are incredible. And though she’ll inevitably be knocked down a few of those lists by the awesome players still active and the ones yet to come, she has 22 games left this season to continue adding to those numbers – starting Friday against the Connecticut Sun. And it’ll be fun to see which of her records stands the test of time.

However, the number I’m looking at the most isn’t the shiny all-time assists mark, currently at 3,114. That’ll fall eventually if someone like Courtney Vandersloot is able to match Bird’s longevity. And that’s why the games played number is the one I’m most impressed by. Not only was she great on the court, but she was always available – for 559 games and counting.

In her 17 seasons before sitting out in 2019, her missed 2013 season was the only other time she sat for more than seven games. Just last season, at 40, she played in 30 of 32 games. It’s LeBron-like durability. That’s why when she’s gone, it’ll be so weird. Because we’re just so used to seeing her out there, doing what she does best.

The only thing left to do now is appreciate the last few games of an awesome career.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Anyone watching the NBA Finals can tell Celtics big man Robert Williams is far from 100% out there. He tore his meniscus in March, and after having a procedure to repair the knee, he’s been battling through it to help his team win a title.

According to league insider Chris Haynes, Williams was told by the team that there was no risk of him making the injury worse. But as our guy Bryan Kalbrosky wrote, ex-Celtic Isaiah Thomas isn’t buying it after his own experience playing through injury.

“The guard was traded that offseason. After the trade, medical examinations revealed news about Thomas’ health so concerning that the move was nearly voided. He suffered a torn labrum and other injuries to his right hip that were exacerbated by playing through the pain.

He has admitted that he should have sat out the playoffs and that he made his injury worse by playing through it. Thomas, who later required hip surgery, couldn’t help but notice the parallels between his story with Boston and what may be happening to Celtics big man Robert Williams right now.”

It’s easy to understand why IT might be skeptical.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP

Warriors (+130) vs. Celtics (+3.5, -160), O/U 210.5, 9 PM ET

I was on Warriors in 6 from the jump. And after the early portion of this series nearly caused me to flip on that pick, I’m feeling really good about it and think the Dubs close this thing out in Boston. I’m looking for Game 6 Klay to have an emergence in a game that goes over this total, because Boston won’t go out without swinging.

Shootaround

— NBA Draft prospect Ron Harper Jr. talked with BK about his mentality on the court.

— Looking for some NBA Finals player props? Our guy Cole Huff has you covered.

— Here’s the list of 20 prospects invited to attend the NBA Draft.

[mm-video type=video id=01g5pgh9y19kzz32tvw2 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g5pgh9y19kzz32tvw2/01g5pgh9y19kzz32tvw2-f458b62d1228747c2845b16610675fb4.jpg]

[listicle id=1911923]

LeBron James wants to own a Las Vegas expansion franchise, and yeah, why not?

This sounds like a win-win.

If you believe in the power of manifestation the way I do, then LeBron James is about to own an NBA team in Las Vegas in the very near future.

The King spoke about this dream of his on an upcoming episode of his HBO show “The Shop,” and he took that manifestation to another level by quote-tweeting the clip on Twitter with the caption: “Speaking It Into Existence!”

The truth is, James’ potential interest in a Vegas expansion team isn’t exactly new. Sports media personality Bill Simmons broached the subject on his podcast back in February, so it’s clearly something that’s been bubbling for a little while and probably has more legs than we realize.

James is part of Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox among other properties, and reportedly has interest in a Vegas NBA team. An NBA spokesperson denied the report at the time, but the mayor of Las Vegas confirmed the city’s interest in an NBA team and having been in communication with commissioner Adam Silver.

Personally, I think it’d be very cool if James were part of an ownership group in Vegas. That market is already exploding with recent sports franchises like the Raiders, Aces and Golden Knights. And James’ presence would give an NBA team immediate credibility.

As his career winds down, a transition into ownership would also keep him around the game in a way that’s probably good for the league. It would also add another Black owner to the league’s ranks, which currently only includes Michael Jordan. That’s all before mentioning the league’s increasing sports betting presence.

The more I think it about it, this is something I’d like to see happen.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

There’s been a lot of noise around Draymond Green over the last 24 hours about everything but basketball.

There’s the whole thing about the mean chants he received from Celtics fans during Game 3 and whether they were out of line, and then there’s the talk about his podcast and whether or not he should be doing it during the NBA Finals.

Well, Green had an opinion on that and shared it on, well, his podcast of course. My colleague Mike Sykes wrote about his response:

“Sure, it might be annoying that Draymond Green is podcasting. But it’s kind of cool to be getting these sorts of unfiltered thoughts directly from the player after the game. It can be too much at times, yes. But it still feels like a win for fans.

“The problem is the production isn’t quite there for Green — it’s not the podcast.”

And that gets the real root of the problem. If Green and his team play better, the noise isn’t as loud. That hasn’t been the case, but they still have a chance to change it.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Celtics (-180) vs. Warriors (+4.5, +145), O/U 213.5, Friday, 9 PM ET

Maybe I’ll have a more definitive pick tomorrow, but today I’ll just say take the over. Two of the three games have eclipsed this number and the Warriors aren’t guarding anybody right now.

Shootaround

— Our guy Bryan Kalbrosky has a new Mock Draft out now. Check it out.

— NBA fans had a lot of jokes about how sad Steph and Klay looked on the sideline of Wednesday’s loss.

— There’s a new No. 1 at the top of our NBA Finals MVP ladder.

— Charles Barkley thinks there’s too much sports betting. He may be right, but here’s why it doesn’t matter.

[mm-video type=video id=01g50s8egbwxb5c61k74 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g50s8egbwxb5c61k74/01g50s8egbwxb5c61k74-4515f3fe7ab69a1c5cd0fc19a2c74183.jpg]

[listicle id=1906797]