Ohonsi's NBA Blog

Maybe it's time for the Embiid era to end. It's been 6 years and there's still no conference finals appearance. I get the Ben Simmons excuse but he's not completely responsible for one of the most embarrassing series losses in the 21st century (2021 vs Atlanta). Then there's game 6 this year vs Boston. Tatum was horrible before the final 4 minutes, yet Philly couldn't crack 90 points in the easiest scoring era in decades. To finish it off, they got destroyed in game 7 where their 2 all star caliber players stunk (Joel and Harden). I think the Celtics win in 6 vs Miami. Though Boston is way more talented than the Heat, I think the reigning eastern conference champions will choke away a game (like they've done too many times the last 2 postseasons) and Butler's greatness will give them another loss. Here's Jimmy's supporting cast: the most timid scorer to make this season's all star game in Bam, a 20 point scorer in Herro who hasn't played...

2 posts ago, I discussed Cleveland's lack of offensive talent outside their starting backcourt. The guards were subpar which is the main reason they lost. A 5 game 1st round series with 3 L's where the Cavs had basically no chance to win in the final minutes is bad. Mobley (inefficient for someone with his shot profile) and Allen (let Robinson get a ton of offensive rebounds) also underperformed. So Robin Lopez (who has a great hook shot) not playing relevant minutes is strange since there was no other reliable big besides those 3. And it was problematic coming into the playoffs that LeVert has the 3rd most offensive talent. With the limited height of Mitchell/Garland and the offensive weaknesses of "Baby KG"/"The Fro", Cleveland needs a competent 3 and D wing. This version of Danny Green might their best option which is unacceptable. On a positive note, the Cavs twin towers did a great job on Randle. It was questionable whether he'd play in game 1 becau...

*Creating all-star and all-NBA teams is a great mental exercise for me. *They're based on (in this order): scoring production and talent (see comments), creating shots for others, rebounding and defense, team success *I think at least 50 games played is a reasonable requirement *The NBA is very inconsistent with their positions. It made 0 sense for Jaylen Brown and DeRozan to be listed as guards on the all-star ballot. And why Luka and LeBron (for example) don't share the same position is still confusing. So I don't feel guilty for putting Shai and Luka as forwards even though they're "guards". Imo anyone who's at least 6'6 can be considered a frontcourt player. 1st Team All-NBA G: Mitchell (Cavs) G: Morant (Grizzlies) F: Tatum (Celtics) F: Antetokounmpo (Bucks) C: Embiid (Sixers) (My MVP) 2nd G: Brunson (Knicks) G: Fox (Kings) F: Brown (Celtics) F: James (Lakers) C: Jokic (Nuggets) 3rd G: Curry (Warriors) G: Lillard (Blazers) F: Gilgeous-Alexander (...

The Cavs won at least 50 games and have homecourt advantage in round 1 so they meet the baseline requirements of a championship contender. Also, Cleveland has arguably the best offensive backcourt (Mitchell/Garland) and defensive frontcourt (Mobley/Allen). However, it's rare for a team to win a chip without a big wing or big man that can consistently create their own shot at a high enough level (though, I'm confident Mobley will get there). It's also uncommon for a little guard to stand out as the best player on a squad that wins it all. Since 1990, when Isiah did so, Steph is the only one to be an alpha while hoisting the Larry O'B. And he's the greatest PG ever which shows how good someone likely has to be. Anyway, the amount Cleveland relies on 6'1 players to create shots for themselves and others bothers me (a starting backcourt this small also makes them very vulnerable on defense). This is why I think the Knicks will beat them, depending on the health of R...