The Grip - WED 5.9

The Point God ends his playoff curse

May 09, 2018

5.9.18

S.E.: Chris Paul is finally headed to the third round. What’s a dragon you’d like to slay?  J.S.:  Finishing the Grip by 2 a.m. S.E.: Keeeeeeep dreaming.J.S.: I wish I was.

Written while listening to Childish Gambino’s This is America [Holy Shit!]

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No. 1 Houston vs. No. 5 Utah

Game 1: Rockets 110, Jazz 96Game 2: Jazz 116, Rockets 108Game 3: Rockets 113, Jazz 92Game 4: Rockets 100, Jazz 87Game 5: Rockets 112, Jazz 102 [Box Score] [Highlights]

  Chris Paul won the night 

After 86 playoff games over nine seasons, Chris Paul is finally going to the Western Conference Finals. And he’s going because of Chris Paul. The Point God dropped 41 points on Tuesday -- including 10 in the final four minutes -- to go with 10 assists and zero turnovers to help bury Utah in Houston in five games.

After game four, he had this hilarious and candid reaction to going up 3-1. On Tuesday, he balled out while James Harden shot just 7-of-22.

In 2015, Houston rallied from a 3-1 series deficit against Paul’s Clippers (remember: Game 6 epic comeback) and it took him three seasons to climb back up the hill.

Now: Can we please stop saying this man is a choke artist?  

A final nod to the overachieving Jazz, who were led by a ridiculous performance from Donovan Mitchell. He entered the second half with two points. He ended the third quarter with 24.

Grab the popcorn, this Rockets-Warriors series is going to be one for the ages.

Western Conference

No. 2 Golden State vs. No. 6 New Orleans

Game 1: Warriors 123, Pelicans 101Game 2: Warriors 121, Pelicans 116Game 3: Pelicans 119, Warriors 100Game 4: Warriors 118, Pelicans 92Game 5: Warriors 113, Pelicans 104 [Box Score] [Highlights]

A counterpoint to the earlier claim that this Rockets-Warriors series could be fun: It could be horrible. It could be over in as many as five games.

Golden State’s kinetic flow of synergy against the Pelicans last night, where they outscored New Orleans by 17 points in the third quarter of a once-close game, was beautiful basketball marred only by the fact that Kevin Durant ruined the league by going to the Warriors.

It is again apparent that this team is a collective savant of efficiency. The three best shooters, maybe ever, are flanked by a defensive guru and from-the-post passing machine that has the basketball timing of a cheetah. And those shooters are also great passers. And the bench is solid.

When they are clicking -- and they are clicking -- they are better than any team of the last 20 years, and, if we were to fire up the hot take machine, that claim could become far more widespread.

To pick any other team to even get near the trophy this season would be foolish. And to think the Rockets, who have largely resorted to iso-ball in these playoffs, could beat the Warriors, is a sentiment based less in reality and more in fear of the premeditated.

Counter to the counter: Screw it, Rockets in seven.

Goodbye, #PlayoffRondo. We’ll miss you.

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Toronto vs. No. 4 Cleveland

Game 1: Cavaliers 113, Raptors 112Game 2: Cavaliers 128, Raptors 110Game 3: Cavaliers 105, Raptors 103Game 4: Cavaliers 128, Raptors 93 [Box Score] [Highlights]

A revitalized LeBron James and the other Cavaliers caught fire in round two and swept aside the shards of Canada’s hopes and dreams. But we knew this. We wrote the obit last week.

It was just the second time in NBA history that a one seed has been swept prior to the Conference Finals.

And now, here comes the dynomite. Head coach Dwane Casey, the best and most successful coach in franchise history, who changed his coaching style after last season’s meltdown to better fit an uptempo system, is reportedly a phone call away from being fired.

File his impending doom under the first world problems of basketball; the pitfall of being only the third best regular season basketball team in the world. They won 59 games this year -- there are six teams in the league who have never done that in their history. They’re still better off than 75 percent of the league, but when you’re playing with the big boys, four straight losses in the playoffs isn’t good enough. So the shake-up from top to bottom is going to have to happen. It’s just a shame to see Casey go from potential Coach of the Year to losing his job.  

(Lowry has two years and $60 million left on a contract he’ll be 35 by the end of; DeMar Derozan is owed over $80 million over the next three seasons; Serge Ibaka is a disappearing act pencilled in for more than $20 million in 2020. Not exactly the most tradable contracts, but it’s likely at least one of them will be shipped by next season.)

No. 2 Boston vs. No. 3 Philadelphia

Game 1: Celtics 117, 76ers 101Game 2: Celtics 108, 76ers 103Game 3: Celtics 101, 76ers 98Game 4: 76ers 103, Celtics 92Game 5: Tonight, 8 PM EST, TNT

If the Raptors are Toby Flenderson -- old, with a dwindling chance of ultimately obtaining what they want most (a wife, a chance at beating LeBron), that makes the Celtics and the 76ers season one Jim Halpert -- young, plucky and slightly disheveled, but with a high upside and a clear path towards claiming what they really want (Pam, an NBA title).

Right now, LeBron James is season one Roy. Though LeBron is a great family man and Roy has anger problems, both LeBron and Roy are large and in charge of what Jim and the Celtics and 76ers want, respectively, which is Pam and the Eastern Conference.

There’s no need to step around things. Jim wanted Pam, and he wouldn’t stop until he got her. And he got her.

Eventually, the two Jims (Celtics, 76ers) will have to morph into one powerful Jim, so Jim can get what he wants, lest both Jims alternate between Jimming (going to the finals), which is certainly possible, too.

But let’s throw out the possibility of two Jims Jimming for now, and assume one Jim will break through next year, when LeBron leaves the Eastern Conference, like when Roy freaked out on Pam and threw his mixed drink at the bar.

With Roy (LeBron) now out of the picture, there will be one victorious Jim. But which Jim will ascend to top Jim?

The correct diagnosis: Next year, the Celtics have the best chance to be Jim. They have a deep and talented team of current and future all-stars that will make up one powerful Jim for -- if contracts catch up to them -- only a short period of time. Think: If Jim bought a house without telling Pam, and Pam decided she wasn’t cool with it and left Jim.  

But over the course of the next 10 years, the 76ers have the best chance to be Jim. They have two players who could very well end up as top-20 players of all-time, plus a good amount of role players and assets.  

Glad that’s settled.

Coaching News

What else happened?

Courtesy of Sports Illustrated