Layup Lines – Page 11 – Syndication Server

Gary Payton II is reportedly available to make his return for Game 1 and we absolutely love to see it

Payton suffered a fractured elbow just 4 weeks ago.

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.

What’s up y’all. It’s Prince here for Layup Lines, and it’s only right on the evening of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, we talk about the game a little. Specifically, I want to talk about Gary Payton II, who is reportedly on track to suit up and be available for the Warriors.

This development isn’t necessarily the biggest news in the grand scheme of things, but it’s not nothing…especially for Payton.

If you know about his journey from an undrafted player who bounced around four teams in five years, including a few G Leauge trips, to someone who finally found a home and role on the Warriors, you felt for him when he fractured his elbow in the Western Conference Semifinals.

That the play he was injured on bordered on being dirty made it all the more tough to see. It totally could’ve been avoided had Dillon Brooks just pulled up instead of whatever it was he was trying to do.

Either way, four weeks later and Payton is back. And he can actually help!

Payton is one of the Warriors’ best defenders. If they need an extra body to throw at guys like Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, Derrick White, etc, he can help. It’s unclear how much he’ll actually play, but even if it’s just a few minutes the entire series, it’s cool to see someone be able to see this journey through to potentially playing in the NBA Finals.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

I’ve heard a lot of things about Michael Jordan. Some people think he’s the greatest player of all time, some people think he’s somewhere right under No. 1.

But something I’ve never heard about MJ is that the GOAT changed the game of basketball for the worse…that is until Thursday. That’s exactly the take Stephen A. Smith decided to role will with on First Take, and Kevin Durant wasn’t ready to let it fly. He instead pointed the finger to the debate shows Smith has helped popularize. Our guy Blake Schuster has more on their back and forth.

“If you want to argue shows like Undisputed, First Take and the like are all harmless fun, I hear ya. These are the debates happening in group chats, bars and everywhere basketball is played. The appeal is there. But the shine certainly wears off when the conversation always returns to the sillier fringes of “who ruined basketball”.

It’s the start of the NBA Finals, after all, surely there are better topics to debate.”

Indeed.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Celtics (+135) vs. Warriors (-3.5, -170), O/U 213.5, 9 PM ET

Listen, man. The Celtics are really good and I respect how they’ve gone about their business to reach this point. But this whole NBA Finals business is new to everyone on that roster. I’m expecting a Warriors team that’s undefeated at home this postseason and has a lot more experience on this stage to be more prepared. They’ll cover this number without a problem, and I also like the under between two good defensive teams.

Who’s in and out?

— Robert Williams III (knee) questionable

— Andre Iguodala (cervical) questionable

— Gary Payton II (elbow) questionable

— Otto Porter Jr. (foot) questionable

Shootaround

— Fans were floored to hear Nike co-founder Phil Knight has joined a bid to purchase the Trail Blazers

— You might hear a lot about Jayson Tatum’s connection with Kobe Bryant during the Finals. Here’s more on the history of that

— The deadline for players in the NBA Draft to retain college eligibility has passed. Here are the top 20 players who had a decision to make and which way they went

— Stephen Curry is still searching for his first NBA Finals MVP, but he isn’t the only superstar without one

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The Heat’s PA announcement before Wednesday’s game was an important call to action

The Heat urged people to call their senators, and told them how.

What’s up y’all. This is Prince here for today’s Layup Lines, and before we get into tonight’s playoff action, I want to step away from the court for a second to talk about what the Miami Heat did before last night’s game.

Using the large platform afforded to them by the popularity of the NBA and an Eastern Conference Finals with the Boston Celtics, the Heat gave an important call to action in the wake of the tragic shooting this week at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. After a moment of silence for the 21 victims – including 19 children – Miami’s public address announcer asked that the tens of thousands in attendance at FTX Arena and the millions more watching at home to contact their senators.

“The Heat urges you to contact your state senators by calling 202-224-3121 to leave a message demanding their support for common sense gun laws. You can also make change at the ballot box. Visit Heat.com/vote to register and let your voice be heard this fall.”

The message was simple and something people have been doing for years already. But these tragedies happen so often that it’s easy to feel helpless about them. Surely, if our political leaders cared enough, we wouldn’t still be worrying about the safety of our kids and teachers at school…or our own safety in a place of worship or a grocery store. The shooting in Uvalde was just 10 days after the racist attack in Buffalo that left 10 people dead.

Following in the footsteps of Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who made an impassioned plea for our elected officials to do something, the Heat just provided a friendly reminder that we can do the same thing, and they even told us how. Polling regularly shows that a majority of Americans support universal background checks, among other more stringent gun control measures. It’s about time the people we put in office start listening. If the Heat’s message only gets one extra person to make that call, then it was worth it.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

I don’t find many things to be more annoying than when former NBA players levy criticism against the state of the current game or players, especially when that former player is a legend. So when I saw that James Worthy was the latest to do so, my initial reaction was to shake my head and keep it moving.

But you know what? Worthy’s description of today’s players — however silly — doesn’t sound so bad and might’ve described one of our current legends to a T, as our guy Bryan Kalbrosky wrote.

“The three-time NBA champion thinks that all players do now is practice 3-pointers, get tattoos and tweet. That’s an outstanding lifestyle and something that is going to resonate with a lot of basketball fans!

One fan noticed that Worthy’s description of a modern hooper reminded them of Kevin Durant — and, of course, KD replied. The Brooklyn superstar noted that he had a sharp midrange game.”

OK, so maybe KD practices more than the three. But it is indeed a new day, Mr. Worthy.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Mavericks (+230) vs. Warriors (-6.5, -120), O/U 215.5, 9 PM ET

The Mavericks are still on life support, but they’re breathing a little better now after avoiding a sweep in Game 4. Returning to Golden State with a chance to further extend this series, I don’t really love their chances. The Warriors got the obligatory loss in a closeout game out the way, and they’re undefeated at home this postseason. I think they’ll cover this spread.

Who’s in and out?

— Otto Porter (foot) is questionable

Shootaround

— Joel Embiid’s tweet about the Heat Wednesday sent Twitter into a frenzy, but it might’ve just been a troll job

— Pat Riley and Alonzo Mourning’s faces told the whole story of Celtics-Heat, and fans couldn’t stop laughing

— The Cavaliers want to retain Collin Sexton after an incredibly successful season without the young guard, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto is reporting

— Colorado State’s David Roddy believes he brings a “very unique set of skills” as an NBA prospect

Layup Lines: The Miami Heat don’t stand a chance without Bam Adebayo

The Heat need Bam Adebayo now more than ever

What’s good, family. It’s Sykes, once again, here to usher you into tonight’s playoff action. But first, a quick word on Bam Adebayo.

Two seasons ago in the NBA Bubble, it was Bam Adebayo who put away the Boston Celtics. There was no one on that roster that could guard him.

Daniel Theis was too slow. Everyone else was too small. He got to the rim at will. I haven’t even mentioned the terror that he was on the defensive end — something that probably still haunts Jayson Tatum’s nightmares to this day.

That’s the Bam Adebayo Heat fans remember. That’s the Bam that looked like he could be the best player on the Miami Heat in a year or two.

But that Bam has yet to show up in this year’s postseason — especially not against today’s version of the Boston Celtics. Miami Heat fans are two seconds away from photoshopping his face on a virtual milk carton.

Through two games, Adebayo has just 10 shots and he’s only scored 16 points. He’s got four blocks, but he got them all in Game 1. He hasn’t attacked at all. He’s only setting screens, catching the ball, and looking for the next dribble handoff.

It’s not just this series, either. Adebayo has taken a step back throughout this postseason. The most alarming stat? His field goal attempts per game. It’s a basic stat, sure. But it also helps us track aggression. It can tell us just how involved a player is in the offense.

Adebayo’s shot attempts have fallen from 13 per game in the regular season to just 8.2 per game in the postseason. As the team’s second-best player and an offensive fulcrum, that’s unacceptable.

Now, all of that might not be on Bam. Per NBA.com’s stats tool, his touches per game have also dropped to 54.2 in the playoffs from 65 per game in the regular season. The Heat need to find more creative ways to get him the ball and he needs to attack with it.

In Game 3, they’ll need to figure this out. Because what’s happening now? It simply ain’t going to cut it here. Not if the Heat want to make it back to the NBA Finals.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

As a Wizards fan, I’m finding myself diving deeply into NBA draft content. Luckily, I work with draft guru Bryan Kalbrosky who has kept me in the loop with all the buzz surrounding every prospect in the draft.

One that Bryan hipped me to early was Jalen Williams, who measured in at 6’5 with a 7’2 wingspan at the NBA Draft Combine. Sounds intriguing, right? Yet, somehow, this kid was viewed as a 2nd round pick coming into this week. I can assure you that won’t be the case after the combine, though.

Kalbrosky wrote about players who raised their stock at the combine. Williams was among them. Why? Because of this, Kalbrosky wrote.

“Williams is just 6’4.5″ without shoes, but his max vertical reach of 12’0.5″ is ahead of vertical athletes like Aaron Gordon and John Collins as well as rim protectors like Rudy Gobert. (Yes, you read that right. This man can actually get higher than Gordon, Collins, and Gobert.)”

Man, what? Wizards, please. Y’all know what to do, man.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Warriors (-6.5, -280) vs. Mavericks (+220), O/U 213.5, 9 PM ET

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Warriors looked absolutely dominant in Game 1. They did one of the best jobs we’ve seen all season in defending Luka Doncic — he was held to just 20 points on 18 shots. But Luka is a great player. And great players aren’t normally held down like that two games in a row. I think the Warriors win a close game 2, but I’m taking the over.

Who’s in and out?

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Andre Iguodala (neck) remains out for the Golden State Warriors with a neck strain.

Gary Payton II (elbow) also remains out for the Golden State Warriors with a fractured elbow.

Shootaround

Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

— The 76eres have a long list of offseason goals they’ll need to accomplish. Here are 3 of them from Sixers Wire.

— Al Horford passed through the NBA’s COVID protocols in the nick of time for Game 2. Here are details on the whirlwind leading to that.

— Looking for the latest mock draft? We’ve got your consensus mock right here.

— Marcus Smart is the point guard the Celtics have always been looking for. They’ve finally figured it out and it’s paying off.

That’s all, y’all! Enjoy the basketball tonight.

The transformation of Andrew Wiggins into a real playoff factor has been fun to watch

Wiggins is shaking that bust label for good.

What’s up y’all. This is Prince here for today’s Layup Lines, and I want talk about something you likely forgot about up until last night’s game between the Warriors and Mavericks (and the reason I know you did is because I did too)? Andrew Wiggins was an All-Star starter back in February.

See! That memory of when it was first announced just popped back in your head. The confusion that came over you when a guy who was drafted first overall and had his previous team give up on him after falling way short of expectations not only made an All-Star team for the first time, but was one of the 10 players in the entire NBA with the privilege to start the game…and the realization that it was totally deserved.

The 180 Wiggins made since leaving Minnesota has been incredible to see, and he reminded us again on Wednesday that it’s not a fluke. He was a game-best +25 on the floor, and his 19 points tied for second-most on the team behind Steph Curry’s 21. Ten of his points came in the first quarter and helped set the tone for what was to come. And more importantly, Wiggins continued to show that he’s a legit defender now. As the primary player guarding Luka Doncic, he helped limit the Mavericks star to 20 points on 6-of-18 shooting and seven turnovers.

That won’t happen every game. Doncic is too good to contain for entire an series. He’s going to figure out how to be a factor. But it’s fun to see Wiggins become the player everyone thought he could be. It just goes to show that everyone develops at a different pace, and team situations matter.

His new situation, where he doesn’t have to be the first or second or even third option, makes him all the more dangerous. And that’s where the Warriors have the edge in this series.

The Tip-Off

The things NBA prospects get asked leading up to the draft are always tricky, because on one hand we like for our athletes to be honest, but then the things they say can have real consequences on the court. And so when they’re asked things like, “Who do you want to play against the most?” or “Who do you think is the best player in the league?” the answers aren’t always as easy as you might think.

That’s what makes potential No. 1 pick Chet Holmgren’s answer to the latter question so savvy, as our guy Sykes wrote. Holmgren said it’ll be “myself in two months.”

“Smart kid. Definitely a smart response right there. Spoken like a true vet.

Of course, he’s going to take it on the chin a bit for his confidence. But who can really knock you for believing in yourself! Nobody, that’s who.

I don’t know how this whole NBA thing will work out for Chet on the court. By all accounts, he’s got loads of talent and should be pretty awesome at the next level.

But, regardless, it seems to be that he has this media thing down already.”

It was a bold statement, but you can’t blame someone for having confidence in themselves.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Celtics (+102) vs. Heat (-1.5, -125), O/U 206.5, 8:30 PM ET

Just when it looked as though the Celtics would roll in Game 1, the Heat came storming out of halftime and completely flipped the script. They went from down by 13 to up by as much as 20 and winning by 11. But the previously shorthanded Celtics have reinforcements on the way. I think they’ll be able to sustain a lead longer and tie this series up.

Who’s in and out?

— Al Horford (health and safety protocols) is available

— Marcus Smart (foot) is probable

— Derrick White (personal) is out

— Kyle Lowry (hamstring) is out

Shootaround

— Not everyone thought Draymond Green’s flex on Luka Doncic in the Warriors’ Game 1 win was a good idea, but it made for an incredible photo

— Shaq and Charles Barkley don’t see eye-to-eye on how difficult it is for great players to score on great defenders

— Speaking of Chuck, he got into with Warriors fans and let’s just say some of his response was NSFW

— List Wire took a look back at the 2011 draft and graded each of the 29 picks before Jimmy Butler

Miami sharpshooter Max Strus is the under-the-radar, breakout star of the postseason

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. I love when an NBA player is really good, …

I love when an NBA player is really good, and most casual fans don’t know his name yet. It’s like when you discover a cool band before your friends.

This year, during the postseason, that guy is Miami’s Max Strus. The former DePaul standout went undrafted in 2019, but he has worked his way into an integral role for the Heat. Miami was 14-2 in games with Strus as a starter in 2021-22. Strus was 41.0% on 3-pointers in the regular season, replacing the minutes previously given to Duncan Robinson.

Strus has started each game he has played for the Heat in the postseason, and he had 19 points and 10 rebounds in his most recent game. He has found a role as a spot-up shooter and floor spacer, and he is one of the best at using off-ball screens and handoffs to score. It is awesome to see his success.

Most exciting for Strus: He becomes a free agent at the end of next season. If he continues playing as well as he has of late, the 6-foot-6 wing should see a hefty raise on his current contract’s $1.7 million average annual value.

The Tip-Off

Joe Rondone-USA TODAY Sports (Via OlyDrop)

As the Grizzlies blew out the Warriors, Golden State’s Draymond Green danced to ‘Whoop That Trick’ — which has recently become the rallying cry for Memphis.

Our own Charles Curtis offered his thoughts on what happened:

“You can only imagine the sports show talking heads getting ready to rip Draymond Green for his antics during Game 5 of the Golden State Warriors’ playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies.

How dare he dance as the Dubs get drubbed! Where’s the intensity? Michael Jordan would never!

But that’s not the approach here. No, Dray dancing to Whoop That Trick — the song that Grizzlies fans have adopted — is totally fine, especially in light of what Steph Curry said before Game 5. In a way, they’re both respecting Memphis fans!”

In retrospect, maybe it wasn’t the brightest idea for Curry to invoke the song’s name before the game.

One to Watch

76ers(-2.5, -140) vs. Heat (+115), O/U 206.5, 7:00 PM ET

(All odds via Tipico.)

This series has shown how much home court advantage matters, and I’m fairly sure that’s why the oddsmakers have Philadelphia favorited in Game 6 at Wells Fargo Center.

Miami (3-2) leads the series and could close it out tonight, but I’m picking Philly to take this into a Game 7.

Who’s in and out?

— Heat: Kyle Lowry (hamstring) is out and PJ Tucker (calf), Gabe Vincent (knee), Max Strus (hamstring), Caleb Martin (ankle), and Tyler Herro (ankle) are all probable vs. Philly

— 76ers: Mattise Thybile (foot) is questionable and Joel Embiid (face) is probable vs. Miami

— Mavericks: Reggie Bullock (knee) is probable against the Suns

— Suns: Joe Crowder (shoulder) is probable against Dallas

Shootaround

— Top free agency destinations for Tyus Jones if he leaves the Grizzlies this offseason

— The NBA has new Conference Finals MVP trophies and, no, that’s not a weird thing

— Heat’s Jimmy Butler opens up on friendship with Sixers star Joel Embiid

— HoopsHype compiled all the MVP votes of NBA legends

Don’t forget the Grizzlies are 20-5 in games without Ja Morant this season

The Memphis Grizzlies will have a tough road if they have to face the Golden State Warriors without Ja Morant.

I want to remind you of something. This season, the Grizzlies had 20 wins and just 5 losses in games without Ja Morant.

That includes a whopping 123-95 victory over the Warriors on March 28. In fact, during the regular season, Memphis had a better net rating with Morant off the floor (6.9) than when he was on (4.7) in 2021-22.

That doesn’t suggest anything negative about Morant or his game, for what it is worth. It just shows that this team, which had the second-best record in the league this past season, was incredibly deep.

Morant is the obvious floor general and spiritual leader of this group. He is their bona fide star, and Memphis has its back against the wall without him. But this series is far from over, even if Morant has to miss some time as he recovers from his latest injury setback.

The Tip-Off

Coley Cleary / USA TODAY Sports Media Group

We released the sixth edition of our 2022 NBA mock draft, and we’ve got both rounds projected with picks for teams around the league.

I’m not going to spoil any of the best fits, but I’ll get you started with our write-up on the first overall pick: Duke’s Paolo Banchero:

“The Rockets would be thrilled to pair a player as dynamic as Paolo Banchero with an explosive scorer like Jalen Green.

Banchero is a prospect who will offer NBA athleticism and fluidity from day one as a pro, and as he develops, he will continue to unlock new strengths as well. He was tough to stop, especially on the left baseline, at Duke. He also found ways to add value as an above-average passer and playmaker for his position.

Banchero, with guard-like skills, could easily go No. 1 overall. However, if he falls to lower in the top 5, it wouldn’t shock me, either.”

Once the NBA draft lottery and combine is complete, we’ll have an even better idea of how the draft class will look. But until then, this is our best (educated) guess.

One to Watch

Bucks (-1.5, -107) vs. Celtics (-115), O/U 211.5, 7:00 PM ET

(All odds via Tipico.)

I know that Nikola Jokic just won the MVP, making him a rare back-to-back winner. Not take away from his accomplishments, but my goodness, it seems clear as day that Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing the best basketball on the planet right now.

Milwaukee took the advantage in the series after another otherworldly performance from Giannis this past weekend, in which he recorded 42 points and 12 rebounds with 8 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

Yet despite his incredible performance, the Celtics were still within a tip-in putback of taking the game into overtime. I’m not counting out Boston in this series just yet, and the winner of this match will have some real momentum.

Who’s in and out?

— Warriors: Otto Porter Jr. (hand) is probable against the Grizzlies

— Grizzlies: Ja Morant (knee) is doubtful against the Warriors

— Bucks: Khris Middleton (knee) is out until mid May

Shootaround

— Leonard Miller is suddenly the most intriguing NBA draft prospect

— Wings’ Isabelle Harrison rocked an iconic outfit after signing with Jordan

— HoopsHype caught up with Rockets rookie big man Usman Garuba

— Sixers, NBA Twitter react to Joel Embiid losing MVP to Nikola Jokic

Bismack Biyombo is the X-factor for why Suns could win a title, and I’m not exaggerating

Phoenix Suns big man Bismack Biyombo gives his team all the frontcourt depth they need to succeed.

Admit it. You probably didn’t think much of it when the Suns signed Bismack Biyombo, right? It wasn’t a huge deal at the time, but it is now.

It was the first day of the new year, and maybe you had other things on your mind. Plus, it was only a 10-day contract signed via the COVID-19 hardship exception. Most of those didn’t amount to much of anything at all. This one probably wasn’t going to move the needle, either.

But, I’ll tell you this much. Biyombo told HoopsHype he wasn’t coming for ten days. He was coming to make a statement. So far, that’s exactly what he has done.

During the regular season, Biyombo had some high-impact double-double performances. He was getting valuable minutes when the Suns were amidst their hottest win streak. It’s the playoffs, though, where his signing has stood out.

Last season, during the NBA Finals, the Suns outscored the Bucks during the 225 minutes Ayton was on the floor. Phoenix, however, was outscored by 23 points in the 63 minutes without their starting big man.

Biyombo, who has played well in the postseason, gives them insurance that will not happen again — even if both Ayton and JaVale McGee find they are in foul trouble.

He proved exactly that against the Mavericks, scoring 9 points in 18 minutes.

The Tip-Off

If you were surprised to learn that Miami’s Tyler Herro won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, you probably missed our predictive survey.

That’s okay, though. I get it. We post a lot of content. I can’t expect you to read all of it. (Although hopefully, this newsletter helps a little bit with that problem!)

Herro was an outstanding scorer who decimated other second units, and he epitomizes what the Sixth Man of the Year Award represents of late. His alma mater, Kentucky, should be proud. They showed enough pride that they even made a little graphic about it.

But, as my colleague Mike Sykes notes, it may be a bit rough on the eyes.

“This graphic is just…weird. The tweet is kind of weird, too, honestly. The hashtag #6MOTYLER is just…that’s a bit much. And the flyer itself? It looks like a club flyer of some sort.

Y’all know the flyers I’m talking about. The joints that get stuck to your windshield because the party promoter sneakily stuck it there while you were in the grocery store. Yes. Those flyers.”

Hopefully, if Miami wins the NBA title, Kentucky’s athletic department can send out a congratulatory post that earns their social media team the Most Improved Post award.

One to Watch

FRIDAY: Heat (-1.5, -120) vs. 76ers (+100), O/U 210.5, 7:00 PM ET

(All odds via Tipico.)

This game isn’t until tomorrow, but Philly has a must-win game against Miami on Friday evening. The Sixers are down 0-2 to start the series, which they are currently playing without Joel Embiid due to injury.

If they cannot win this game and fall down to 0-3, it’s possible we’ll have to start thinking about who may replace Doc Rivers — and where Rivers could go next.

The more pressing question: If he doesn’t play well, James Harden is headed into an offseason that has massive implications on his free agency. What will his future look like with another early exit?

Who’s in and out?

— Heat: Kyle Lowry (hamstring) is questionable against Philadelphia on Friday

— 76ers: Joel Embiid (head) and Georges Niang (knee) are both questionable against Miami on Friday

— Warriors: Gary Payton (elbow) is out for the season

— Celtics: Marcus Smart (quad) is questionable on Saturday against the Bucks

Shootaround

—Devin Booker brought back his own laying-on-the-court meme in Game 2

—The Suns exposed Luka Doncic on defense, and that’s terrible news for the Mavericks

— James Harden, Sixers still feeling confident ahead of Game 3 vs. Heat

—HoopsHype’s trade rumor rankings: Donovan Mitchell leads the pack

We need more NBA players like Draymond Green getting on podcasts right after playoff games

More please!

Happy Monday and start to the semifinals in the NBA postseason. We got our first semi-big controversy of the playoffs on Sunday after Draymond Green got ejected for an extremely lame Flagrant 2 in Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies, although it did give us Green pulling an Antonio Brown.

Then, while everyone was waiting for Green to give us his reaction on Twitter … he hit us with a podcast episode. That he taped. RIGHT AFTER!

As my colleague Andy Nesbitt — who writes our morning newsletter, Morning Win, subscribe! — rightfully pointed out, we need more of this. I know NBA players are busy and probably very tired after games, and I respect that. But a postgame podcast — 15 minutes, that’s all! — is gold, Jerry, gold. We got Green taking us inside his head about why he was bouncing around gleefully after the Flagrant 2 call.

If no one else is going to do it, I can’t wait for more of this from Dray.

On to tonight’s action!

The Tip-Off

It wasn’t only the Draymond Green call that was bad in the Grizzlies and Warriors Game 1, as our Prince Grimes wrote. There was this play late in the Dubs’ win:

Just when it seemed the Warriors had overcome the ejection and were wrapping up the win, the refs botched another call. After Klay Thompson missed the second of two clutch important free throws, the loose ball went out of bounds off of Memphis with six seconds left.

But the refs somehow didn’t see the play, and instead of going to replay, they ruled a jump ball. …

Next time, the refs need to be better or it won’t matter how good the game is because all anyone will want to talk about is how they ruined the series. And nobody wants that.

Indeed!

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Mavericks (+190) at Suns (-5.5, -240), O/U 214.5, 10 PM ET

Luka! Book! CP3! This is going to be a fun one, even if the Suns are absolutely the favorites and may take care of business quicker than we’d like. I’ll take the under on the points just because it’s first-game jitters and such.

Who’s in and out?

— Celtics: Marcus Smart is questionable for Game 2 against the Bucks after he suffered a quad contusion on Sunday.

— Suns: Devin Booker and his hamstring look good to go for Monday’s contest.

Shootaround

— How can the shorthanded Sixers beat the Heat? James Harden has some ideas.

— Steph Curry had a great reaction after that crucial steal against Ja Morant on Sunday.

— Maybe you’ve seen it, but you should watch the Greek Freak’s self-alley-oop again.

An update power rankings of the NBA teams who could actually win a title right now

Are the Celtics for real?

I’ve decided to have a little fun with today’s newsletter and take a snapshot of where we’re at right now in the NBA playoffs. One team is gone — RIP to the Brooklyn Nets, who had a very up and down weird season — and we could lose another on Tuesday night.

But as of right now, between where the series are at and the injuries we’ve seen, who really is a contender right now? Let’s do a very fast power ranking:

16. Brooklyn Nets (obviously).

15. Atlanta Hawks: I think they’re done after tonight’s game in Miami.

14. Chicago Bulls: They were already in trouble, and now Zach LaVine is probably missing Game 5.

13. Denver Nuggets: Golden State is one win away. Can’t wait to see this team next year thought!

12. New Orleans Pelicans: There’s no way they survive against Phoenix … right?

11. Toronto Raptors: I love this team, but I don’t think they can win two more even with Joel Embiid injured.

10. Utah Jazz: Even if they win against the Mavs, I have my doubts about title contention.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves: A lot of fun and could pull off the upset. Still not a contender!

8. Dallas Mavericks: Nice to see Luka Doncic back and playing like we know he can.

7. Philadelphia 76ers: Whew, I wish I could rate them higher but between what we’ve seen in the first round and Joel Embiid’s thumb injury … not great.

6. Memphis Grizzlies: Too low? They have to make it out of the opening round first!

5. Milwaukee Bucks: We aren’t talking enough about the defending champs, but let’s see what happens when Khris Middleton comes back.

4. Boston Celtics: Man, they looked REALLY GOOD against the Nets.

3. Golden State Warriors: We knew they would be among the elite in the postseason.

2. Miami Heat: Given the injuries around them, that could help their case.

1. Phoenix Suns: The Devin Booker injury worries me a lot. But let’s assume he comes back soon and that the Suns win their series to help him rest longer.

On to the good stuff:

The Tip-Off

I love how Kevin Durant woke up the morning after the Nets got swept and he casually threw a ton of shade at Charles Barkley on Instagram. So what if he lost and the Nets are getting the Nelson Muntz treatment? KD loves to troll, and this time was no different. More from our Bryan Kalbrosky:

Perhaps it was surprising for some to see Durant take a shot at the TNT analyst right after his team was eliminated from postseason contention, but the Brooklyn superstar is one of the most logged-on athletes we have ever seen.

Durant is often criticized for playing on a superteam trio of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Then, this season, the Nets were preseason title favorites because KD was on a superteam trio alongside Kyrie Irving and James Harden.

However, the 2014 NBA MVP wanted to set the record straight: He didn’t start the trend of great players joining great players. Barkley even played alongside Scottie Pippen and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Yep.

One to Watch

Timberwolves (+210) vs. Grizzlies (-6.5, -270), O/U 230.5, 7:30 PM ET

If we’re looking for an upset, this could be one to watch with the series tied up at two games apiece. I’ll take the points here, even with the Griz playing at home.

Who’s in and out?

— Bulls: As I mentioned, Zach LaVine is in the health and safety protocols, so he’s questionable for Wednesday’s Game 5.

— Jazz: ESPN reports Donovan Mitchell has bruising in both his quads and there’s “optimism” for him to play on Thursday against the Mavs.

Shootaround

— Georges Niang called out Pascal Siakam for comments toward Joel Embiid.

— Rough night for Nic Claxton at the charity stripe.

— Jabari Smith now has the highest odds of becoming the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, per Rookie Wire.

LAYUP LINES: Don’t use the playoffs to knock Nikola Jokic’s MVP candidacy

Don’t let the playoffs cloud your judgement about Nikola Jokic

What’s good, family. It’s Sykes, once again, leading you into tonight’s playoff action. But first, a thought on the MVP race that was.

For pretty much the entire season there were three MVP candidates putting up historic numbers that totally deserved consideration for the award: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid.

So far through three games this postseason, Antetokounmpo and Embiid have at least one a single game. Nikola Jokic — who will probably win the award — has not.

The conversation surrounding MVP has already gotten awkward and the playoffs just started.

Look, Nikola Jokic totally deserved MVP. The numbers bear it out. He put up a historic season with the Nuggets and carried a team that had no business making the playoffs to a 48-win season. But there is also certainly something to be said for him being another MVP who may possibly be out in the first round of the playoffs.

That’s sort of where that conversation starts and ends, though. Would a first-round exit mean he doesn’t deserve MVP? Absolutely not. The fact is this is a regular-season award. And the postseason has no bearing on it because, well, no one can predict the future.

If anything, the Nuggets’ performance should probably bolster his candidacy. It’s become pretty clear that, without Jokic, the Nuggets might be one of the three or four worst teams in the NBA. And for him to drag them this far without any co-stars? That’s pretty impressive.

So let’s maybe chill on Jokic a bit and start thinking more critically about what MVP means as a regular-season award. Once we do that, then we can circle back and have a much better — and more productive — conversation.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Kevin Durant is playing some of the worst basketball we’ve ever seen him play right now against the Celtics.

I wrote a bit about that today after crunching the numbers and, whew boy, are they bad.

Durant has only shot worse than 25% on at least 15 field goal attempts five times in his playoff career including Wednesday’s game.

The last time it happened was 6 years ago in 2016 against the Mavericks where he shot 7-33 (!!!!!!) from the field. That might actually be the worst shooting performance of his career.

The Nets have to free KD up a bit. Otherwise, they stand no chance in this series.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Nuggets (+115) vs. Warriors (-2.5, -140), O/U 223.5, 10 PM ET

The Warriors have been blistering the Nuggets with their new death lineup of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green. That lineup has a +123.9 net rating in the series.

It’s hard to pick against them tonight. So I’m not doing it. The Warriors win this thing in a blowout. I’m taking the under.

Who’s in and out?

Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

—Luka Doncic (hamstring) is listed as questionable for the first time in the Mavericks series against the Jazz.

—Andre Iguodala (neck) is listed as probable for the Warriors in game 3 against the Nuggets.

Shootaround

—The Celtics are looking good, but you probably shouldn’t bet on a sweep of Kevin Durant, writes our Prince Grimes.

—Speaking of sweeps, Joel Embiid basically just promised Drake he’d sweep the Raptors.

—The 76ers praised Tobias Harris as the unsung hero in their comeback over the Raptors, Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire writes.

—Scottie Barnes missing time in this series changed everything and Tyrese Maxey isn’t happy about it.

That’s a wrap, folks! Til next time.