Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
That’s where our city comes into this. If you’re of my generation, the standard-bearer for beautiful, bold basketball is the 1985-86 Celtics. If you’re of an older generation, the standard is … well, it’s still the ’86 crew of Bird and McHale, Ainge and DJ, Chief and Walton, but you also speak with reverential first-hand knowledge of the Bill Russell era. That New Big Three era wasn’t a bad introduction to Celtics lore for the young ones, either.
What the Warriors did was reminiscent of the best Celtics teams I’ve had the good fortune of witnessing, including ’86. There seems to be a rush around here to diminish Curry and Co.’s accomplishments the last two years, to suggest it’s a softer league than it used to be, that more precise long-range shooting is somehow a bad thing, that nothing we’re seeing now could compete with what happened back in my day, grumble-grumble.
Well, that’s nonsense from those clinging to and perhaps exaggerating the past.
Boston.com – Warriors’ beautiful, bold basketball is reminiscent of 1985-86 Celtics
If somehow we could arrange for the 1986 Celtics to play a best-of-seven against today’s Warriors, I’d bet my Larry Bird autographed basketball on Boston to win the series in six.
The stipulation would be that those Celts play the pace-and-space game of the current NBA. The ’86 Cs had the pace part down: they averaged 101.2 possessions per game, which was only 16th in the league that season, but still better than the 99.3 posted by the current Dubs. (Admit it, you’re surprised by that.)
The space factor is another story. Steph Curry made 402 triples by himself this year, while those Celtics attempted only 394 three-pointers total for the entire season. However, I strongly believe if you told Bird, Ainge, Wedman and Sichting to go ahead and let it fly 30-plus times from the arc every night, they would be lethal. Meanwhile, the bigger Cs would dominate the boards (they led the league that season) while playing pretty good defense (also no. 1 in defensive rating). By the way, they were so deep they had Bill freakin’ Walton coming off the bench.
With all that said, the Warriors are incredibly talented and deserve all the praise in the world for their record-breaking achievements. They are better than OKC, and – although the series did not unfold as expected – that talent won out in the end. In their must-win Game 6 on the road, Klay Thompson delivered a jaw-dropping, unprecedented shooting performance – and he isn’t even Golden State’s best player.
As we’re prone to do in our culture, we build up winners until they reach peak popularity, then we tear them down. As a result, the Warriors have their share of critics. But the truth is that anyone who loves basketball cannot objectively deny their greatness.
On Page 2: Speaking of The Truth
NBA Countdown will provide on-site pre-game and halftime coverage for every NBA Finals game. The team of host Sage Steele and analysts Doug Collins and Jalen Rose will work their third consecutive Finals together as a trio. The show will emanate from a set inside the arena. Additionally, Paul Pierce, 10-time NBA All-Star and 2008 NBA Finals MVP, will join the Countdown crew as a guest analyst for select games.
There is good news, bad news, and fantastic news about the ABC telecasts of the NBA Finals. The good news is TNT is not involved, so neither is Reggie Miller. The bad news is that Mark Jackson will have a microphone for ABC. The fantastic news is that Paul Pierce will give us a reason to watch the studio show.
As Celtics fans know, The Truth has a big personality that should come across very well in the studio setting. We don’t know if Paul is interested in doing TV work in the future, but if he is, Tommy’s going to retire eventually.
And, finally: Olympic basketball in jeopardy?
Brazil has been badly hit by Zika, the mosquito-borne virus linked to severe birth defects and possible neurological problems in adults.
Gasol said officials involved in the games must come forward with ”more clear information” about the risks athletes could be facing if they decide to compete in Rio.
”I hope the national Olympic committees and the health organizations can be as clear as possible about the risks in Brazil so athletes can decide whether or not to take risks,” he said. ”I don’t think we’ve been told enough about it.”
Yahoo – Pau Gasol considering skipping Olympics because of Zika
The Olympics begin August 5, just over two months from now. If Gasol and other key players decide to stay away, that’s going to have a huge impact on the tournament.
One thing about Olympic hoops is that the teams are there for the entire 17 days of the Games. Individual competitors can arrive late or leave early if they desire. If you’re a pole vaulter and want to minimize your potential exposure to Zika, you bail as soon as your event ends. Basketball players don’t have that option.
No one from the Celtics will be playing in Rio. Kelly Olynyk won’t be competing, due to his shoulder surgery, although he might be there to support his Canadian teammates. Bring plenty of DEET, Kelly.
Obligatory “Durant’s Future” links:
Washington Post – The Thunder’s consolation prize for losing to Warriors may be Kevin Durant
The Undefeated – The KD question: Did Kevin Durant play his last game for the Thunder?
HuffPost – Kevin Durant Has Been Connected To A Comical Number Of NBA Teams
Yahoo – The future of Kevin Durant
CSNNE – MacMullan: Unwise To Put All Your Basketballs In Kevin Durant’s Basket
In addition to being world-class on the court, Durant – and his teammates – are nice people:
USA Today – Behind the scenes: How OKC’s manager forged a special bond with Thunder stars
The Rest of the Links:
CBS Boston – Other Players Isaiah Thomas Should Recruit This Summer
Tacoma News Tribune – Hoop dreamer embodies Tacoma spirit
Herald – Celts trying hard to size up possible No. 3 pick Dragan Bender
MassLive – Eight intriguing NBA Draft prospects not named Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram
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