It seems the best way for the San Antonio Spurs to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder is to get Victor Wembanyama over twenty shots in a game. In Games 1, 4, and 6—all Spurs wins—Wembanyama took 25, 22, and 21 shots. In Games 2, 3, and 5, he took 16, 15, and 15. It’s not rocket science: get him the ball.
Kenny Atkinson said after Game 3 in the series between his team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the New York Knicks, “Analytically, we’re two out of three in the expected score. We’ve won two out of three.” However, after blowing a 22-point lead and then getting beat by double digits in all three of those games, Atkinson should understand you don’t say things like that when your team is down 3–0.
Knicks’ Dominant Playoff Run
Speaking of the Knicks, in all my years of watching NBA basketball, I’ve never seen a team that finished in third place in their division in the regular season storm through the playoffs like they have. The games they’re winning aren’t close. If they continue to play as well as they are, they’ll be champions in a few weeks.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ Offseason Decisions
Speaking of the Cavs, they have some big decisions to make concerning their future. Do they keep this team intact? Keep in mind they are over the dreaded second apron, and when you are in this position, you expect to get to the Finals.
The alternative is to make a trade. If you trade, the player you chase is Giannis Antetokounmpo. To get him, the deal starts with Evan Mobley. The Cavs would need to include another player and some draft picks. Losing draft picks wouldn’t hurt because the picks should come at the end of the first round. The question then is: is that enough to win a title?
The other free agent out there is LeBron James. We know Cleveland is his hometown. The problem is either LeBron takes a big pay cut because Cleveland is, as I said before, a second apron team.
LeBron James and the Lakers’ Future
Speaking of LeBron James, who said, “Obviously I understand that I’m a free agent and I can control my own destiny—being with the Lakers for the foreseeable future or if it’s going somewhere else.” LeBron has also talked about wanting to see the Lakers’ plans.
This is interesting. What LeBron needs to understand is the Lakers are one of the few teams able to pay him what he wants. He is now a good player that teams would want to push them over the top, but not necessarily be their best player.
With Mitchell Robinson having a broken pinkie, the Knicks could be losing a valuable piece. Though he can’t shoot free throws, his ability to protect the rim and hit the offensive boards has helped the Knicks immeasurably. Robinson believes he will be ready for the opening game Wednesday, but then the question becomes how effective he will be.
Spurs vs Thunder: A Growing Rivalry
The San Antonio Spurs have given the Oklahoma City Thunder a ton of problems. If the Thunder survive and get to the Finals, they are still leaving this series knowing that if everyone is healthy next year, they will have a difficult time beating the Spurs.
The Spurs are young and good—being young and good means they will get better. While everyone thought the Thunder were a potential dynasty after last year’s title, after this year, no matter the results in Game 7, they have a tough challenge ahead of them.