Warriors Rebound From The Brink, Head To NBA Finals

By Mark Bacon

After some of the most dramatic and compelling basketball the NBA has seen, the Golden State Warriors found themselves 12 minutes away from a return trip to the NBA Finals, an escape from a three-games-to-one deficit in these Western Conference finals and a chance to stake a claim as one of the greatest teams in the history of the league.

They handed the ball to Stephen Curry, and the NBA’s two-time defending MVP carried his team home.

Behind 36 points and eight assists from Curry — including 15 points in the fourth quarter and 24 in the second half — Golden State emerged with an 96-88 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oakland’s Oracle Arena. With the victory, the Warriors will get two days to rest and prepare for a rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the championship round, which will begin here Thursday night.

The final outcome was far from a formality, as the Thunder continued to push the Warriors much harder than anyone would have expected. It didn’t become official until Curry scored six straight points in the final 90 seconds after the Thunder had closed within four on a Kevin Durant jumper with 1 minute 40 seconds remaining.

But after Curry was fouled on a three-point attempt by Serge Ibaka with 1.8 seconds remaining on the shot clock and 1:18 remaining in the game, and made all three free throws to push Golden State’s lead to 93-86, Curry sealed the game with signature aplomb a few seconds later. Game.

When Durant missed a three-pointer with 43.8 seconds left, Curry brought the ball up on a fast break, bringing the ball out to the three-point line. After getting away from Thunder guard Andre Roberson, Curry pulled up and let fly with a three-pointer — his seventh of the game — with 26.8 seconds that dropped through the bottom of the net, giving the Warriors a 96-86 lead and ensuring that their chase for history would live on.

That this series came down to the final seconds of the seventh and final game was a testament to the resiliency the Thunder showed after giving up a fourth-quarter lead and losing at home in Game 6 Saturday night — a loss that happened only because of a pair of historic performances from Curry and Klay Thompson.

 It was an equation that proved destined to end with a Warriors victory.

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No Nanu for UofL? No problem.

Sophomore C Onuaku moves on and Cards move forward

By: Raashaan Myers

     The fear of the unknown is always a scary proposition. Most will take the devil you know over the devil that you don’t know.  Change can be hard no doubt about it. Well the supporters of the University of Louisville are facing that proposition right now with the announcement of big man Chinanu Onuaku’s decision to forgo his final two years to make himself eligible for the NBA Draft.  And now with his decision final I am here to tell you to not fear the unknown, but to be excited about the future!

     No one knew coming into the 2015-16 campaign that they would have to worry about losing any of their big men. UofL has just completed a run to the Elite Eight the year before with pretty much no help from the low post other than that of big man Montrezl Harrell who decided to forgo his final season to head to the league. This caused a lot of angst in the fanbase then and to everyone’s surprise UofL was actually better this past season down low than with the E8 team! Yet while that should be a lesson learned it seems that this lesson will have to be taught all over again this upcoming year.

     There is no doubt that Onuaku is a very talented young man transforming himself from a guy only getting about 17 minutes a game contributing 3 pts and 4 rebs and only showing flashes of his potential in a couple of performances that season, to a guy who was hauling in multiple double-doubles and contributing a solid 10 pts and 8.5 rebs a night. That was a very nice improvement and his growth and confidence became more evident as the season went along. They say that the only way you improve is with time on the court and Nanu proved that to be true.  

     It is with this premise that I look forward to the 2016-17 with great anticipation with excitement and belief in what will come next for UofL. The talent was evident from Onuaku as he showed flashes of potential but never could put it together, and each of the 5 returning big men to some extent has shown some great potential of their own. Let’s take a look at each of the returning big men for the Cards.

Mangok Mathiang 6-10 220 lbs 7 Pts 6 Rebs 1 Blk 56% FG

The most important guy returning for the Cards this year is Mango. He will be the anchor for UofL in the post with his ability to defend at the rim, bring toughness in the paint, as well as a great desire to rebound the basketball. Many have forgotten how well Mathiang was playing last year prior to being sidelined with a broken bone in his foot in early December. There was a question about his improvement shown in the World University Games where he averaged a double-double and led the event in rebounding for his native Australia. Could he carry that play into his junior year at UofL? Well the answer early on was yes highlighted by a 17 pt 13 reb effort vs Saint Louis in Brooklyn. Mathiang has the size, length, motor, and experience to continue to improve and be the player that UofL fans had hoped for this past season.

Ray Spalding 6-10 210 lbs 5 Pts 4 Rebs 56% FG

Spalding is probably the #1 X-Factor coming into the 2016-17 season for UofL. This young man has all the tools to not only be a good player for the Cards, but to be one of the greats with NBA potential. Blessed with exceptional length, quickness, basketball IQ, and natural instincts Spalding showed flashes of brilliance for UofL as a freshman. Now the question is how much does he improve and work on his game in the off-season to take that next step and turn those flashes into consistent excellence on the court. Ray clearly has the highest ceiling of all the big men returning, but still many questions remain for him as he only scored in double figures twice in conference play. Continued effort in the weight room as well as attention to detail with his low post footwork will be a key to his improvement.

Jaylen Johnson 6-9 215 lbs 5 Pts 3.5 Rebs 46% FG

While Spalding is the shooting star for the Cards down low Jaylen Johnson was coach Pitino’s Mr. Reliable. While Johnson has never been a flashy player for UofL in his two years he plays with a chip on his shoulder and a toughness that reminds me of former Card big man Ellis Myles. Jaylen is very consistent in his effort and always plays an aggressive and fearless brand of basketball. One interesting thing I like about Jaylen is he has shown the willingness to step away and shoot the 18 foot jumpshot even knocking down a couple of 3s last year including one in his 11 pt 9 reb performance at Virginia Tech. The key to Jaylen’s improvement will be continued work on his conditioning, decision making, and cleaning up and refining his skill package.

Anas Mahmoud 7-0 200 lbs 3 Pts 3 Rebs 1 Blk 46% FG

Another guy with off the charts potential is Mahmoud. Above average size, length, dexterity, and skill level are apparent for Anas, but also was the way too consistent issue of being pushed around in the paint. When Mahmoud is aggressive and attacking he has been good, but that has not been the case more often than not because of a lack of strength which also results in a lack of confidence. Anas has the potential to be a David Padgett/Gorgui Dieng style mid-post big man for UofL with his ability to pass and shoot the ball with continued weight training. The forecast for the big Egyptian is bright and sunny if he can find a way to add another 15 to 20 pounds this offseason.

Matz Stockman 7-0 240 lbs 2 Pts 2 Rebs 55% FG

By far the biggest question mark for UofL in the post is the big Norwegian. Matz was a complete unknown coming from the Academy in the Canary Islands, but the injury to Mathiang gave him the opportunity to play some minutes and that paid some dividends. Stockman showed the ability so score on the low block when he takes his time and doesn’t rush, he is an underrated athlete for his size, and he is aggressive. The key to his development is more on the defensive end of the floor where he is still extremely stiff and doesn’t use his length to block shots too consistently allowing penetration to the rim. He will probably benefit the most from Nanu leaving as he can continue to grow.

     All in all UofL fans were extremely spoiled to have the amount of depth and talent the Cards enjoyed last year. Losing a guy like Onuaku would usually cripple a program looking to make a deep run in March, but Coach Pitino has done a brilliant job stockpiling talent and depth to take that hit and keep moving. I am truly excited to see who’s next and you should be as well. 

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The Cleveland Cavaliers: The Big Three Achieve Their Promise

By Mark Bacon

The past two years’ narrative for the Cleveland Cavaliers has been drama of the highest sort. A team doesn’t simply fire its coach midseason with the best record in the East if everything's seriously dope. All those anonymous sources related to then Coach Dave Blatt’s dismissal generated feelings of distrust, but the stories did not come from thin air.

The Cavaliers had problems. Their biggest star, LeBron James, was fed up just about every night with his teammates' effort and professionalism. LBJ and Kevin Love had the chemistry of two junior high jazz musicians thrust into a set at the Jazz at Lincoln Center. Tristan Thompson was just a role player. He had a good season, but trust him to be there when it mattered? The whole team would have nights where it looked dominant, and nights where it looked inept.

The Cavaliers rarely, if ever, reached, yet alone exceeded, expectations.

In the playoffs this season, however, they have shattered those expectations and reached a new level. A scary level. Leading the charge is that superstar three-man combo that for so long looked destined for dismantling, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Three months ago that Love was reportedly being shopped at the trade deadline. Kyrie Irving was suffering from a "disconnect" with James, and James was sub-tweeting the entire team day after day. Now, they're a three-headed monster that has ripped up everything.

The Cavs' Big 3 are responsible for over 50 percent of the points for the Cavaliers and nearly as many assists. They are the offense. And playing better together than at any point in their partnership.

They are flat-out destroying teams, with a 59.7 shooting percentage (factoring 3-pointers and free throws) while winning 10 straight playoff games. They're halfway to a sweep in the conference finals, with no sign of slowing down.

Chemistry is the biggest difference. The Cavs, as a whole, are firing on all cylinders and playing together as a unit. But key elements of the Big 3 are clicking, most especially Irving and Love, who never seemed to mesh. In 10 playoff games, Irving has assisted Love on 14 of his buckets. That's 25 percent of his total assists on Love's made field goals in the regular season.

Irving is trusting Love more, and it has made Love a much more confident player than ever before in Cleveland.

That step-back confidence of chocolate milk spokesman KLove is exploiting the opponent’s defense being out of position trying to blitz Irving. Look at how quick Irving is in these situations. It's Irving trusting Love and getting him the ball right where Love wants it.

LeBron is simply an all-star battering ram capable of moving, jumping, shooting and dominating at will in these playoffs.

There's trust all around. All of this was absent last year and at times, this season.

The team has rallied around, benefitted and grown from the influence of, coach Tyronn Lue. But that chemistry would still not result in domination if it weren't for a dominant LeBron James.

But to beat the Warriors (or Thunder) and win the title, Cleveland is going to need this fully armed and operational Death Star, powered by this three-man star combo that was the guiding blueprint of Cleveland's championship plan. They are making good on the promise they showed on paper two summers ago.

The Finals, of course, will be the real test. The Cavs have so completely destroyed an Eastern Conference playoffs, many are wondering if it's more to do with how weak the East is. Consider two things, however. One, the fact that Cleveland has played lights out. Go back and watch these games and tell me the Spurs would have hung with the perimeter onslaught the Cavs have shown vs. the Hawks, or how a healthy Clippers team would have done with the Cavs' ability to attack the rim they've unleashed vs. Toronto. Two, the East was truly better this year than most believe. Atlanta was just a bad schematic matchup for the Cavs' perimeter assault, and Toronto, regrettably, has not played its best basketball. The No. 2 seed in the West, the Spurs, is home right now.

There are still questions. But after two years that bred doubt over whether or not this Big 3, this trinity of basketball star power could really challenge as a title contender, the Cavaliers have their answer. The best of the Cavs' 3 Musketeers is as good as any force in the East, and could be the key to them shocking the NBA world in the Finals.

When my man Jerry, producer of Main Events Sports Radio simply states “The Cavs…,” I know think he knows something more than most of us rabid NBA fans. J may know The Truth about the upcoming NBA Finals. The Cavs.

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Party Crashers? A Look at the NBA Western Finals

By Mark Bacon

For months, the world assured all the NBA Western Conference Finals would be between the Golden State Warriors (73 win, regular season) versus the San Antonio Spurs (67 wins, regular season.) And after Game 1 of the Spurs-Thunder series, that seemed prescient; a sure thing. Then, the Spurs put on an absolute clinic, showing the Thunder just dominant they were. Were.

In the blink of an eye, those expectations were reduced to rubble. The Thunder's defense clicked, forcing one-on-one matchups that completely disrupted a team that has helped lead a revolution in ball movement and open 3-point looks. The Spurs overpassed, and in an even more bizarre development, were forced into isolation plays trying to get Leonard and Aldridge free to make difficult shots, burning valuable time on the clock.

Now, we're left with a (possibly) more entertaining showdown between the Thunder and Warriors. With Stephen Curry looking to be completely back to form after his MCL sprain, the Warriors don't appear to have any potential weaknesses in their quest for a second straight title.

Can OKC ruin the long-running expectations of the Warriors repeating as NBA champs? They crashed the party in the house of the elite NBA Western Conference and are looking to demolish that house. Can they do it? The key points of this matchup are as follows in this preview of the surprising Western Conference finals:

Can the Thunder stretch the floor against the Warriors?
After watching the Portland Trail Blazers torch the Warriors' defense from behind the 3-point line this season (44.2 percent over their nine games against each other), there does seem to be an achilles heel IF you have the long range shooters. Portland used Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum so well to suck in the defense, with pick and roll situations, and created shots for open shooters that one wonders if OKC, with superior offensive attackers are can do the same? The Warriors weren't the type of team in the regular season to do that against. They were a top 7 team at not allowing 3-point attempts and they were second in the 3-point line defense.

The Thunder (17th in 3-point accuracy this season) have two guys who can suck in the defense as well as anyone. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are supreme talents at attacking in pick-and-rolls and off the dribble. Westbrook is a much better playmaker, with an extremely high powered engine; more than he’s been given credit for. Until now. The downhill-racer one guard did a great job distributing and creating against most teams this year and found a rhythm and pace against the Spurs in the last round, creating advantageous situations for the Thunder's shooters.

During the regular season, the Spurs allowed just 26.8 percent from downtown against the Thunder. That went up about five percent in their semi-finals matchup against OKC. In the final three games of the series (all Thunder wins), Westbrook averaged 12 assists and the Thunder made 33.8 percent of their 3-pointers. Ray Allen has nothing to fret over with this type of shooting, but the Thunder did get better in a tighter environment.

Against the Warriors this season, the Thunder shot just 29.4 percent from deep. This is much more in keeping, statistically, with how the Warriors defend the 3-point line. The big problem was Westbrook taking 3-point shots. The team without his attempts shot 34 percent from deep while Westbrook was just 3-of-18 (Durant was 10-of-21). Westbrook should resist taking these shots against the Dubs (considering that's what they want to happen) and find ways to create penetration, making the GS defense scramble, and get off rhythm. He can. Or will he be able to shoot 37.5 percent or somewhere in that neighborhood like he did in the final three games against the Spurs last round?

In their 73 wins this season, the Warriors allowed just 32.3 percent from deep. In their nine losses, they gave up 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. The Thunder have to become supreme shooters. Can Andre Roberson remain locked in from beyond the stripe?


The Thunder must take care of the ball and force turnovers against the Warriors.
The turnover disparity in their three regular season games against GS was massive and it's something the Thunder can't afford to let happen now. OKC turned the ball over on 16.8 percent of their possessions against the Dubs. That's high even for the Thunder, who were the third worst (15.8 percent) at taking care of the ball this season. The flip side of that is the Warriors, who were 19th in turnover rate (14.9 percent) this season, coughed it up just 9.5 percent of the time against the Thunder. That's just not going to cut it for the Thunder. Sloppiness could end up being their undoing in this series, even if they have found a 3-point stroke.

The Thunder did do a good job cutting down on turnovers against the Spurs in the last round. During the regular season, the Thunder turned the ball over 19.3 percent of the time; an obscenely high rate. While they weren't necessarily good at taking care of the ball in their six-game series against San Antonio, they dropped their turnover rate to 15.4 percent.

Between the Warriors' points off turnovers and their opponents' points off turnovers, Golden State went from a plus-0.5 points on average to a plus-7 points against the Thunder. Can you afford to give the Warriors an extra 6.5 points per game and beat them four times out of seven? No.


Who is the best big man for the Thunder in this series?
Serge Ibaka or Steven Adams? At the start of this year, a question like this would be viewed as ridiculous. But with Steven Adams’ performance in the playoffs and especially against the Spurs, it's a legitimate query. He is looking like one of the best bigs in the NBA. Ibaka became less and less trustworthy for the Thunder as the season progressed. He used to be a spectacular safety valve for both Westbrook and Durant. He could stretch the floor perfectly to 18-20 feet, and he even extended his range to beyond the 3-point line as he hit 37.7 percent from deep over the previous two seasons. This year, he dropped to 32.6 percent from deep.

However, it's picked up in the playoffs with him shooting 61.5 percent from downtown against Dallas and 50 percent against San Antonio. But it was Adams who outplayed the Spurs' frontcourt in the previous round. Convincingly. There was a huge disparity between Adams being on/off the floor that wasn't there with Ibaka. The Thunder were 5.1 points per 100 possessions better with Ibaka on the floor as opposed to off. With Adams, they were 18.1 points per 100 possessions better. His ability to rebound and finish around the hoop became big weapons for OKC. And Adams gets in his opponents heads very well. He’s Old School, in that regard.

You can still play them both against the Warriors, and maybe even when they go small too. It's more likely the Thunder will try to match up with Durant at the 4 in these situations and hope a big man can keep up with and hold his own against Draymond Green. (Green and Adams trash-talking potential would make The Glove—Gary Payton—proud.) That's going to be the tricky, though. Ibaka is more mobile and a better rim protector. But most of this season and postseason has seen Ibaka and Adams have a similar effectiveness—which isn't great—at the protecting the rim. Do not overlook Enes Kanter, either. He is emerging at the right time. An X-factor? And, will OKC abandon going small?

Even though they lost all three games to the Warriors this season, their starting lineup of Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, Adams, and Andre Roberson was a plus-30.2 points per 100 possessions. They did seem to avoid going small (especially with Adams as the big man, often. The book on beating the Warriors has been to play big, physical and control the tempo of the game. The Thunder can do that and not have to pick between their two starting bigs. Maybe.


How do the Warriors stop the duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook?
Durant scored 110.1 points per 100 possessions against the Warriors this season when he made a play that resulted in a shot, turnover, or trip to the free throw line. Just as a reminder, the Warriors led the NBA in offensive rating at 112.5. So Durant scoring against one of the top defenses in the NBA was just under what the Warriors do to everybody.

Russell Westbrook at just 76.5 points per 100 possessions against the Warriors this season when he made a play that ended in a shot attempt, turnover, or trip to the line. In the half-court, he clocked in at just 68.4 points per 100. Russ hurt the Thunder in this matchup over and over again because he kept trying to make all of the plays himself.

Even with defenders like Green, Andre Iguodala, and Harrison Barnes, Durant seems to be relatively Warriors-proof. His shooting percentages against the Warriors this season were 52.9/47.6/96.4. That's ridiculous. He did turn the ball over 19 times against them, but mostly he torched them. He should be just fine.

It's finding Westbrook's rhythm against Klay Thompson and other wing defenders while having to use energy on the defensive end trying to slow down Curry for as often as he's on him. His numbers (25 points, 10.7 assists, and 5.3 rebounds) were fine until you look at him shooting 34.6 percent from the field against the Warriors. Considering the sheer volume in which he attacks, the Warriors slowing him down will probably matter more than how they tangle with Durant.


How do the Thunder avoid being stymied in tight games in this series?
There's the psychological factor too, right? The Thunder were fantastic against the Spurs late in games in this series. They did a great job of defending the Spurs in clutch situations in that series and it's the reason they moved on to the conference finals. But it's an entirely different animal trying to slow down the Warriors in crunch time moments, considering just how nearly perfect they appear to be in these situations.

Even when the Thunder are giving the Warriors everything they can to take them down, Steph Curry has moments in which he wins the game and obliterates your morale in the process. OKC must get inside his head. He dislikes contact. Dion Waters and especially Steven Adams thrive on it.

The Thunder can do enough correct to win the game, but Curry can still pull up from 40 feet in the tight seconds of a game and bury the impossible shot. That's the difference. The Thunder used to be one of the few teams with a weapon like that in Durant. Not only do the Warriors have that guy as well, but he can hurt you from more spots on the floor and at a higher rate of success.

That has to trouble the Thunder and it's a reminder that a team can't be “good enough” the Warriors; you have to be nearly perfect. But we thought the same thing against the Spurs and look where that got the Thunder.

I won't guarantee an OKC series victory. But I like their chances.

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Thunder vs. Spurs / The Legacy of Tim Duncan

By Mark Bacon

OVERTURE:

Thus far, the series baffles on close examination. Yes, the Thunder have star power, played well, games have been close, and OKC have won three out of five games. But it makes little sense.

Not that the Thunder are undeserving, slipping into Cinderella's slipper and blowing the Spurs away. It's about the Spurs. The 67-win, lost-once-at-home-in-the-regular-season-and-that-was-to-the-Warriors, annual standard-bearer-of-NBA-excellence, never-beat-themselves Spurs. But something is rotten in the home of the Alamo.

San Antonio has fallen apart in the four games since the Spurs' blowout Game 1 victory. Even though each contest has been within five points in the game’s final five minutes. The Spurs are shooting 35 percent in these situations but giving up 57 percent shooting to OKC. Weirdly (such a word?) they're still a plus-four. The Spurs are 1-3 in these close games and yet have outscored the Thunder by four in them. But they keep coming up on the wrong side.

In game 5, the San Antonio had a six-point lead with four minutes to go. Kevin Durant was struggling from the field, OKC had many turnovers, and several members of the Thunder were in foul trouble. The Spurs had a go-ahead shot from LaMarcus Aldridge on a pick/pop, wide open at the two-minute mark. Tony Parker had a chance to tie at the free throw line with 43 seconds to go, plus a go-ahead jumper with 11 seconds left. Choked. It’s weird; the Spurs are blowing chances to win in this series, via lack of offensive execution.

The Spurs have fallen into prolonged stretches of offensive stagnation, caught in between two extremes. On one hand, they have slowly been dragged down by uncharacteristic isolation basketball, dependent on Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard to create tough shots. Yet, they have been prone to bouts of overpassing. You read that right. The team whose passing has dazzled in years past are overpassing. While trying to jump-start offense with selflessness, it's really stagnating the motion. The rhythm.

They're at least familiar with this situation; they’re also showing how much longer the Duncan-Ginobli-Parker troika is long in the tooth.

Is this Parker, Manu and Duncan’s swan song? We’ll see.

GAME TIME:

From approx. 3:50 in the first quarter to 10:30 in the second, Chesapeake Arena was a abattoir not a basketball court, with the Spurs being led to slaughter. Remember, the Spurs were the second best team in the NBA all season, winning a franchise best 67 games and finishing second overall in the West with home-court advantage for the first two rounds. Yet that didn't matter against OKC.

The Thunder won two games in San Antonio, a place the Spurs lost just once all season. To the Golden State Dubs. The Thunder neutralized San Antonio's offense, which was third overall during the regular season and made mincemeat out of the Spurs' defense, which was the best in the league. Shocking on all levels.

The Thunder just simply overwhelmed the Spurs, being physical, dominating the rebounding battle and making the adjustments that actually made a difference. Enes Kanter and Steven Adams stepped up and were a huge part of the SA Stomp. Adams really stepped up, playing some of the best basketball of his career and frankly putting himself into the conversation for one of the best centers in the league.

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are the men here. Durant scored 37 points in Game 6, making Kawhi Leonard look exhausted and helpless. Westbrook (28 points and 12 assists), played like he usually does, running downhill, attacking the basket and controlling the Thunder offense while also being a pest on defense.

Will Tim Duncan, who was a hologram of himself, lacking any lift in this series, retire? Or Manu Ginobili, who came back because he believed San Antonio's championship window was still open due to the signing of Aldridge, also hang it up? And what of Parker?

One way or another, San Antonio will have to figure out how to bolster its bench, which was nonexistent this series. David West, Kyle Anderson, Kevin Martin and Boban Marjanovic left a lot to be desired, especially Boban.

THE CODA:
If Tim Duncan retires after a 19-season career, he’s one of only three players to spend at least 19 seasons with one franchise; John Stockton (19) and Kobe Bryant (20) are the others.

Duncan is one of three players to win 1,000 regular-season games, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Parish; his .719 winning percentage tops Kareem and Parish.

He is the second player in NBA history to win an NBA title in three different decades. He has won five titles overall (the Spurs’ five championships rank fourth all-time). The Spurs have posted a .600 winning percentage in all 19 seasons of Duncan’s career. It’s the longest such streak in NBA history.

Duncan ranks 14th all-time in points scored, sixth in rebounds and fifth in blocked shots. In postseason play, his stats improve to sixth in points, third in rebounds and first in blocked shots.

Duncan did give it his best effort going out. He scored 19 points in Game 6, two more than he totaled in the first five games of the series.

Whatever the outcome, I salute one of the best ever. Undeniably one of the classiest athletes of all time. And a player I will genuinely miss, should he retire. Few did it better.

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Steph Curry: Deserving Of A Unanimous MVP Crown? Best ever??

By Mark Bacon

For the first time in the 61 years of balloting, every voter for the NBA MVP Award agreed on the winner, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.

Curry led the league in scoring, averaging 30.1 points. He made 402 3-pointers, shattering his own previous NBA record set last season, and he did so while shooting 45.4 percent from beyond the 3 point line. He took 20.2 shots a game and made 50.4 percent of them.

Few have ever shot as well as Curry does (but don't forget Maravich...), and no one has ever dominated with such efficiency. Plus, he led the Warriors to 73 regular-season wins, the most in league history. He’s had some help with Draymond Green, in particular, Klay Thompson and the latest NBA thug, Steven Adams. Refs help, too; he does have the superstar cache now.

"I never really set out to change the game." Curry said. "I never thought that would happen. What I want to do is be myself."

Curry is the 11th player to win back-to-back MVP awards. The announcement came the morning after one of his best performances to date, a 40-point explosion against the Portland Trail Blazers in his return from a knee injury. In that game, Curry scored 17 points in the overtime period, a new NBA record.

But, he's not the only player who has deserved a unanimous MVP tally. Not in my mind.

NBA fans seen some truly dominant seasons that not only have those campaigns, but also set standards for that era and beyond. Michael Jordan is possibly the greatest player of all-time, and aside from a few opinions of dissension, that acceptance has left its mark on generations of NBA players. But Jordan never received 100 percent of the first-place votes for the league's MVP trophy.

He came close though, as have several other MVP winners. Here are the others who nearly took home every first-place vote:

• 1984-85 Larry Bird, Boston Celtics: Received 73 of 78 first-place votes

• 1985-86 Larry Bird, Boston Celtics: Received 73 of 78 first-place votes

• 1995-96 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls: Received 109 of 113 first-place votes

• 1999-00 Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers: Received 120 of 121 first-place votes

• 2012-13 LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers: Received 120 of 121 first-place votes

Then, there’s been a drumbeat I can't ignore from many past NBA All Stars like Oscar Robertson, Walt Frazier and a others who claim it’s a “watered down NBA” via rule changes eliminating arm bars, hand checks and the physical play widely seen in the 1980s.

It has me wondering… how would Curry and the Warriors fare against Detroit’s vaunted Bad Boys? I personally think one drive in the lane by Curry would be his last, after Rodman or Lambeer sent their messages of “stay out, little man.” I really can’t shake that image. Or Frazier or Robertson’s stellar on the ball defense.

I think Curry is as good a shooter as I’ve seen… but a unanimous MVP pick? I disagree. Westbrook, Leonard and Durant had spectacular seasons, especially Russell. I’m on record as saying it all seems skewed to me. And I really dislike the “I’m back!!!!” showboat stuff. I'm not a hot dog fan.

I never recall The Big O, Kareem, Clyde, Earl The Pearl, Magic, Larry and many other greats engaging in such theatrics. Their overall game made all the statements required. I miss that. And wish Curry was more a student of NBA history. Maybe it's me?

I’ll close with a quote oft attributed to Black Jesus, Earl Monroe: “Don’t be the famous athlete who talks like a kid who’s been dropped on his head.” Or it may have been Earl's close friend Miles Davis who said that. Either way, it rings true, Steph. Jes' sayin'.

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In Praise of Mothers

By Mark Bacon

I lost my Mother April 30, 2016. She passed peacefully in her sleep at the age of 93. I’m willing to wager a significant proportion of MESports readers, and society in general were, like me, raised by a single parent. That fact alone makes our Moms athletes of the highest order, running to stay ahead of us, keeping us from harm, and keeping us on what Mom called “the straight and narrow.”

Why am I sharing this on a Sports site? Because Alice, my Mother, encouraged my participation in athletics early and often. To give me structure and keep me from some of the bad on the streets. When I was discouraged, she encouraged. When I was injured, Mom became a nurse. We had little money, but she sacrificed to keep me in Chucks as a boy, when my feet grew every few months, seemingly.

And Alice sacrificed funds to take me to Louisville Cardinals basketball games going back to Coach Dromo, KY Colonels games and even a NY Knicks game (because Clyde was my hero, and this little beige kid went to bed every night asking The Lord to transform me into a 6’4” Black point guard extraordinaire. It didn’t happen, by the way.) Those evenings were too special for me to aptly describe. I cherished each game.

Futbol, or soccer, came natural to me. It was in my genetic makeup. Mom was German, and her Father played. I played for the old Tyler Park FC when we used Seneca Park as home base. It was a block away. (That neighborhood was immigrant and working class in those days.) Mom would have loved to watch my games, maybe even snuck over to spy, but I never wanted her to come. I was a defender, and a bit of an enforcer. And just might goad opponents into swinging at me. Maybe. Fearless. 

Just like Alice faced life fearlessly as a single parent in the 1960s, before all the rights and attitudes became manifest decades later, allowing single parent women more respect and better wages.

I’m very proud of her view towards all people. “We are all the same, Mark,” she would tell me. Religion, skin color, and individual choices, especially when different from ours, were to not only be honored and respected, but celebrated. A way to learn more about people. “Alle Leute sind Brüder.” All people are brothers. She lived it, and I learned it.

All my friends were welcome after games to my house. Mom loved every kid who walked in there. And they loved her.

The photos of Shaquille O’Neal, Wes Unseld and Kareem Abdul Jabbar are included here because she encouraged me to watch them, and learn from them, even though she knew I wasn’t going to achieve my dream of toiling in the NBA. Alice admired them as MEN of character and principle. Hard working. Men who stood by their beliefs, sometimes in the face of derision. She told me to dream big dreams, as they did. All are great men to this day, who have lessons to share far beyond their playing days. (She LOVED Shaq!!! Just loved him. Mr. O'Neal, you made her laugh so much, I want to thank you here. I wish you could receive these words of sincere gratitude. Kareem and Westley, too. She recognized character.)

She KNEW basketball, too. I cannot describe my shock and delight when she would say “why don’t they run a flex cut and free the off guard for a high percentage shot? Or “Don’t they recognize they’ve gone into a zone? Why don’t they pass into the seam??” Or “Will Vitale just be quiet for a minute?!” She loved Jay Bilas, too. We spent many evenings, just the two of us, watching NBA or NCAA games.

I ask all of you who have grown up with Moms who supported, cajoled, played nurse after game injuries and sacrificed to get you new Chucks when you outgrew the old ones, to reach out today and say thanks. Sports teach life lessons. Mothers teach eternal lessons. If they are near you, give Momma a hug and kiss like you mean it. If they have gone on, remember them in your way.

And thank you Mom. I love you, miss you, and Happy Mother’s Day, with love. And to all Mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day, with love and peace the rest of your days.

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