Ten Things About the NBA: Zaza the Terrible

Zaza Pachulia is the Real MVP of Golden State

I spent late Sunday afternoon in utter amazement at the way the San Antonio Spurs were absolutely thrashing the Golden State Warriors…..and then this happened.

Was it a dirty play? That depends upon who you ask. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sure thought so.

Popovich also cited several other instances involving Spurs players and Pachulia. There are just too many instances for it to be just a coincidence so I tend to agree with the legendary coach.

Mr. Unreliable and the rest of that circus of stars couldn’t do squat with Leonard on the floor. If Leonard doesn’t come back the Warriors are going to sweep the Spurs and if they do Pachulia is the real MVP of this series.

Boston Hits the Lottery

Tuesday night the NBA hosted its annual snooze fest Lottery drawing and lucky for the Boston Celtics they wound up with the bent envelope Number One pick in the upcoming 2017 NBA Draft.

The Los Angeles Lakers wound up with pick Number Two and the Philadelphia 76ers wound up with the third pick in this seasons Lottery Draft.

I’m more interested in the NBA Free Agency period so this is probably the last you will hear about the Draft in this space from me.

The Knicks are good at What They Do?

At least that’s what New York Knicks whatever Phil Jackson says. Phil Naessens would disagree with that.

Wait. If it means signing bad contracts and signing bad players being good than Jackson and Owner James Dolan are the greatest of all time!!

If being good means running a confusing antiquated offense being good at what they do again the Knicks are absolutely fantastic at what they do.

Kristaps Porzingis one of only two good things (bringing Walt “Clyde” Frazier to the Lottery Draft would be the other) that has happened during the Jackson era and they pissed him off so much so that he skipped his exit interview. Jackson and Dolan can’t even seem to get that right.

They are good alright. Good for nothing, good at nothing, and that entire Knicks Front Office can go kick rocks.

The Jonathon Simmons Story

Can you imagine believing so much in yourself and your abilities to dig into your own pocket pay 150 bucks for a D-League tryout? Ok. That might happen a LOT but how many actually make the League?

Okay. That also happens but how many get actual playing time in the NBA playoffs for one of the most successful NBA franchises and arguably one of the best coaches in the history of the NBA?

This very thing is happening and his name is Jonathon Simmons.

LaMarcus Aldridge disappearing in big games isn’t the real story of these playoffs nor is the disappearance of Golden States Klay Thompson. With Aldridge that’s a yearly event and good players usually get stuck in Durant’s backseat so that isn’t news either.

Simmons is averaging 17 points per game and is 4-6 from beyond the arc during the Western Conference Finals. Read all about this young fella here and check out a few Simmons highlights from Game 2 against Golden State.

Double Team LeBron James??

Boston Celtics Head Coach Brad Stevens didn’t make the top ten on my NBA Coaches Rating. That made plenty of people angry with me demanding that I reconsider now that he has gotten extremely lucky supposedly led the Celtics to a Number One seed in the East and a Eastern Conference Finals appearance.

I almost changed my mind until I heard Stevens say he was thinking about double teaming LeBron James. Maybe that type of thinking worked for him in College but here in the man’s world of the NBA that kid stuff ain’t gonna work.

My question would be; has Stevens ever seen the Cavs play?

Double teaming James would be like a dream come true for the Cavs; James is one of the best passers in the game not to mention the very real fact this Cavaliers team is LOADED with shooters.

Maybe Stevens should call Mike Budenholzer and ask him about double teaming James; the Cavs knocked down 25 triples the night the Hawks tried that.

I suppose when you don’t really know what to do you have to do something, right?

I guess the best plan of attack would be to play Jaylen Brown on LeBron and let him get his. Give James his two rather than allowing the snipers to knock down wide open shot after wide open shot.

The Celtics are gonna get swept.

LaVar Ball is a Clown

I don’t understand why folks give this dude a platform. Wait. Yes I do. It’s for moments like this one Wednesday on Colin Cowherd’s The Herd.

One thing I’ve learned in doing over 500 interviews is this; the more you allow your guest to talk there’s the very good chance they will hang themselves. Cowherd handed him a new rope and that’s exactly what he did.

I get the whole he’s living through his children active in the lives of his children argument. I suppose in this day and age that’s commendable.

When he is allowed airtime to belittle women who are far more successful than he is, not to mention clown a reporter like Jason Whitlock than, well, that argument sorta falls flat.

Allegedly Miss Leahy is receiving death threats because of this foolishness.

Ball also is encouraging the Celtics to draft Markelle Fultz with their number one pick claiming the Celtics already have Isaiah; if he understood the business side of the NBA, and clearly he doesn’t, Thomas is set to be a free agent in 2018 and is looking at a 200 million dollar deal. Thomas will also be 29 and is a defensive liability so maybe the Celtics draft his precious son.

At some point, if he hasn’t already done so, his big mouth will write a check his son won’t be able to cash and for the players in the National Basketball Association it IS all about cashing those checks.

Speaking of checks; our own Hannahrob has written a review of Balls Big Baller kicks he’s selling for 499.00 bucks. Before you write a big check for them check out her review of these shoes.

Mark Cuban Admits to Tanking

We all know NBA teams “tank”. Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban publicly admitted to doing so. What made this worth mentioning was his stating that the players weren’t in on the tank.

In the past I’ve had people tell me they felt the players at times were asked to lose but thanks to Cuban he offered us a snapshot into the anatomy of the tanking process. I’ve always maintained that unless a player was “bought off” to fix a game NBA players are out there trying to compete, win and keep their paychecks coming.

I think NBA Coaches are the same way. They are just as competitive as the players and win-loss records matter. Plus there are very few jobs out there so for them to tank probably doesn’t help their future earning potential very much.

I love Joel Embiid!!

But the young fella needs to chill. It’s one thing to believe in the “process”. It’s another thing altogether to believe the Philadelphia 76ers are going to end the Cleveland Cavaliers reign as soon as next season.

I suppose there are 14 other teams in the Eastern Conference with the same hopes; that LeBron James will one day soon will get busted for using HGH lose his battle with Father Time and slow down.

The funny bit is this; if James and his Cavaliers are to repeat as Champions James will at least have to play 16 post-season games; Embiid has only played in 31 games in his entire three year career.

I hope Embiid is right about challenging the Cavaliers. The Cavs need a good challenge but with the Eastern Conference being a bunch of chapstick wearing lay down Sally’s I don’t see any challenge as long as James is able to dominate these teams the way he has.

James Harden

James Harden had a difficult Game Six last Friday night against the San Antonio Spurs.

Was Harden “concussed” or did he pull another choking number like he has in the past against Golden State and Miami? J.A. Sherman joins me to discuss this and much more NBA talk on my weekly show.

To add insult to injury it appears Moses Malone Jr has an issue or two with him as well.

Can’t wait to see what the Beard does next!

NBA All-NBA Teams Announced

I won’t list the teams for you but the complete list is here.

Noticeably absent were Paul Millsap, Gordon Hayward, Chris Paul, Paul George, Kyrie Irving and Marc Gasol.

Paul George being off the list all but insures that he will be taking his talents elsewhere. Had he of made the team he would have been able to sign an extension with the Indiana Pacers upwards of five years and 207 million. Now the Pacers can only offer him five years and 177 million. After next season he would now be able to sign wherever he likes for four years and a max of 132 million.

I know he ain’t hurting for money but he lost a pile by not being one of the top six forwards in the game.

Hayward not making the team means he can’t re-sign with the Jazz as the designated veteran player. Had he of made one of the teams the Jazz would have been able to re-sign Hayward to five years and up to 35 percent of the salary cap. If Hayward opts out of his current deal the Jazz can still offer him what no other NBA team can; five years and up to 30 percent of the cap.

It’s going to be an interesting summer my friends.