Grind City Media’s Lang Whitaker and Kelcey Wright Johnson weigh in on the most pertinent news from around the NBA. What’s lit? What’s lame? Find out each week right here.
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Monday, September 28, 2020 10:18 AM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: IMHO
Kelcey:
WE MADE IT!
Yes, yes we did. Somehow, despite a season stoppage, a restart, and a man-made bubble constructed inside the happiest place on earth, through all of that, we have finally reached the NBA Finals. And guess who’s there? (Well, besides Mickey Mouse.)
Of course, LeBron is there. Dude’s been playing for almost two decades and he’s still the best player in the NBA, which is pretty amazing. I remember being at SLAM and hearing about him as a sophomore in high school, and people were throwing around lofty comparisons back then. And I wonder now if they were high enough? I’ve said this before, but while I fervently believe Michael Jordan is the greatest player in the history of the NBA, I also believe that LeBron James is the best player of all-time.
And look no further than this Lakers team. Sure, Bron has AD there to team up with, but to be clear, there is no Big 3. The Lakers are a Big 2 with a lot of quality role players, from Danny Green to Dwight Howard to Rajon Rondo to the maestro, Alex Caruso. And somehow Bron has them on the precipice of yet another title.
Take a look at the Heat for me, Kelcey. How did this happen? How did a team overlooked by almost everyone get to the Finals. And do they have a legitimate shot to put a ring on it?
From: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Sent: Monday, September 28, 2020 10:54 PM
To: Lang Whitaker
Subject: Re: IMHO
Hey Lang,
First off, I’d like to say that I appreciate the subtle Beyonce reference.
Secondly, the Heat saved their best basketball for the bubble and have hit their stride at the right time. How they’re going to get past the Lakers in this finals series is continuing to score by committee.
You mentioned the two-headed snake that is the Lakers — but the the Heat are the exact opposite and that style of play worked out well for the defending champions from last season. The biggest star is Jimmy Butler on Miami and he wasn’t the leading scorer in any of the six games against Boston in the last series. That says a lot about how this team plays; if you stop one player, another is able to pick up the slack and have a killer game. Just look at Herro’s 37 points or Bam’s 32. And of course, Dragić has been averaging (almost) 21 points per game during the playoffs.
To answer your question about how a team that everyone overlooked made it to the finals? I think Bam said it perfectly, “we been underdogs our entire life, everybody up here got a chip on their shoulder”.
My question to you is — my guess would be that Erik Spoelstra has some defensive tricks up his sleeve. Maybe a triangle-and-two, maybe a 1-3-1, I don’t know! What’s the best defense to slow down AD and LeBron?
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2020 9:28 AM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: RE: IMHO
That’s the thing about Spo and the Heat: They’ve always got some wrinkle to throw at you. I’ve always thought more NBA teams should go zone from time to time, and I know teams can get complacent in their zone, but the Heat did it in an energetic, aggressive and strategic way against the Celtics. So I’m guessing Coach Spoelstra will have something new up his black golf shirt sleeve to make the Lakers think.
The thing is, the Lakers have already been though a lot to get to the Finals. Portland had a mostly balanced approach in the first round, Houston went all small in the second round, and then Denver attacked from all over in the Conference Finals. You’ve got guys like LeBron and Rajon Rondo, who are two of the smartest people I’ve ever been around, and who I think won’t have much trouble figuring out whatever the Heat throw at them. The Heat won’t be intimidated and will play with the same confidence they’ve found in this postseason, for sure. But the Lakers have the best two players in this series, which is one helluva advantage.
Honestly, if I’m the Lakers, I think the biggest threat right now, even more than the Heat, is fatigue, both physically and, maybe even moreso than the physical, from a mental standpoint. These guys are going on a few months stashed away in this bubble and I’m sure they can’t wait to go home. You saw the way LeBron just sat there after beating the Nuggets? I think that was him steeling himself for this final stretch. This is an unprecedented situation and we’re down to the final two. At this point it’s about mental strength as much as it is about physical ability.
MEANWHILE! Just down the 405 in Hellay, the Clippers have kicked off their fishing trip by cutting bait with Doc Rivers. Sure, the Clips lost in the second round this season, but they also went to the postseason six of Doc’s seven seasons, which is impressive for a franchise with baggage like the Clips carry. So Doc is gone, Kawhi and Paul George can both leave after next season, you traded away basically all your future assets to assemble this roster… what do you do now?
From: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2020 10:38 AM
To: Lang Whitaker
Subject: Re: IMHO
Hey Lang,
Honestly, I have no idea. But like you said – there are some high stakes when it comes to replacing Doc Rivers in that HC position because it’s really next year or never (maybe not never, but potentially not for a long time).
We know that both Kawhi and PG aren’t scared to leave organizations from greener pastures, so if next season is another flop, I truly believe they’re gone.
As for a replacement for Doc, my head is telling me Ty Lue or Sam Cassell but my heart is telling me Becky Hammon. But even then — do any of these coaches make THAT difference if the main roster pieces stay the same? I don’t really think so.
But to play devil’s advocate with myself there, Doc Rivers said the team didn’t really ‘arrive’ until Game 4 against Dallas and who’s job is it to hype the team up and ensure they’re prepared? In part, the coaching staff. And then in addition, Kawhi in his post-season interview said the Clippers’ basketball IQ has to be better — and who’s job is it to get the players ready? The coaching staff.
All that to say, I don’t really know where the Clippers go from here but I do know they better be prepared for next year because it may be their last as legit contenders for a while. Good luck to the next coach, no pressure!
Lang, I said my heart wants to see Becky Hammon land a head coaching job and I honestly don’t think it’s going to be with the Clippers, but do you think she would fit well in any of the other coaching vacancies for next year?
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2020 10:43 AM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: RE: IMHO
I mean, to be honest, Becky Hammon to the Clippers wouldn’t be the worst landing spot for her. She obviously has some history coaching Kawhi, since she was on the staff in San Antonio during his time there. And Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is as progressive and forward-thinking as an NBA owner can be, so he’d probably be at least willing to consider the idea of breaking the gender barrier when it comes to hiring an NBA head coach.
Honestly, for Becky Hammon to get a head coaching gig in the NBA, I think it’s going to take a team with extraordinary vision, a team that’s unafraid to take a chance on shattering this particular glass ceiling. Does she deserve a chance to be a head coach in the NBA? Certainly. But it’s never that easy.
I don’t know if any of the spots that are currently open (Houston, Philly, the Clips) are the perfect fit, although I think the most interesting landing spot might be with the Sixers—with all those young players, Hammon and her player development experience might be a perfect fit.