Garbage Time: Conference finals edition
With the conference finals underway and the draft lottery having set the stage for June's draft, theScore's NBA editors reconvened for another Garbage Time roundtable.
Conference finals predictions after one game
Joseph Casciaro: My predictions for the conference finals remain unchanged after the series openers: Cavaliers in 6 and Warriors in 5.
Houston looked good early in Game 1, but it was a facade. The Rockets' shooting was unsustainable and the Warriors missed some good looks. Once things began to regress to the mean, the Dubs cruised, and it didn't help that the Rockets looked unprepared in their defensive scheme for Curry. The Cavs needed a ridiculous shooting night from J.R. Smith to steal Game 1, but The King's Men now own home-court advantage, and have been the better team for the last four months.
John Chick: Prior to the series, part of me was thinking - and even hoping - the Hawks could provide enough balance to overcome the Cavs. I don't know now. Granted, it's good news DeMarre Carroll's injury may not be as serious as first thought. As for the West, it's Warriors in 5. The Rockets may steal one in Houston, but every game we seem to discover Draymond Green has some new superpower.
Sam Morsy: Somewhere in Atlanta, Thabo Sefolosha is stewing - and not in the culinary sense. With Carroll's health in question, the Hawks lose one of the league's best 3-and-D specialists. This wouldn't have been as disastrous had Sefolosha been available to fill in, but with the Swiss guard out of commission with a broken leg, Atlanta will have to try to contain LeBron James with a combination of Kent Bazemore, Paul Milsap, Kyle Korver and Mike Scott.
The chances of the Hawks winning a game or two in this series: slim. The chances of the Hawks becoming the feel-good story of the summer by making the NBA Finals: nil.
If Dwight Howard dominates the paint - on both sides of the ball - the Rockets might have a decent chance to push their opponents to six or seven games. However, he's a game-time decision at the time of writing this, and a hobbled or absent Howard would factor into a quick WCF exit for Houston.
Where is Tom Thibodeau coaching next season?
Chick: I think the Lakers thing is a trial balloon, but he and Kobe are intriguing. Throw Rajon Rondo into the mix (who Thibs coached in Boston) and that's an odd room. The Pelicans have to be the no-brainer front-runners based on the talent he would have at his disposal.
Morsy: Sure, the Pelicans job should appear most tempting - who wouldn't want to join a team led by The Brow with a promising young core? However, recent rumors have cited Orlando and Denver as destinations. The Magic finished the regular season having shown some potential, boasting a tantalizing foursome of Nikola Vucevic, Victor Oladipo, Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon. The Nuggets have Kenneth Faried and Ty Lawson (for now), but the roster seems like it needs more work. The Lakers have also entered the discussion, and with their newly acquired No. 2 pick, the chances of enticing Thibodeau may have skyrocketed. However, L.A., Orlando and Denver don't seem to provide any guarantees of a postseason appearance next year - something Thibodeau has been accustomed to going back to his days as a Celtics assistant. Despite rumblings he may stay in Chicago, I believe the Pelicans have the ultimate bait in Anthony Davis.
Casciaro: New Orleans. The chance to coach a 22-year-old, franchise-changing superstar doesn't come around every day, and Thibs has been around long enough to know it. That being said, if the Magic's reported willingness to possibly make him the highest-paid coach in the league is true, Orlando has to be considered a real possibility, especially if talks between the Pelicans and Alvin Gentry heat up.
The Magic have an intriguing young core of defensive talent and the benefit of playing in the Eastern Conference (where the path to contention is easier), and money talks - especially when it comes with more creative control.
Who are the Timberwolves taking with the No. 1 pick and why?
Morsy: What a wonderful dilemma to have! The Wolves have their choice of two potentially transcendent big men and the chance to shock the world by selecting one of several impactful guards. But there are two key questions surrounding Minnesota's upcoming decision: what type of player do they need, and who is the best fit? They need a mobile big man who can keep up with Ricky Rubio, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine. He also needs to be able to rebound and protect the rim (the team finished the year with the league's worst defensive rating). The answer to the second question: Karl-Anthony Towns. He has quick feet, can score from midrange and is the superior defender. Jahlil Okafor wouldn't be a bad pick for the Wolves, but he'd serve a different purpose - traditional post moves and clogging the key with his wide frame. However, with the Wolves' uber-athletic roster, Flip Saunders would be wise to incorporate the true gem of John Calipari's first platoon.
Casciaro: Towns. If we assume the T-Wolves will select a big man and won't shock the world with a D'Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay pick, it's going to come down to Towns and Okafor. The Duke product is said to be more NBA-ready, but Towns is the superior two-way player and projects to have the higher ceiling.
Chick: If you believe what many say, Saunders will take Okafor because of Flip's supposed old-school coaching nature - more of a traditional banging offensive center as opposed to the more space-friendly and current Towns. But Towns could have too much upside to pass up. Whichever one of these two it is (I don't think they're going off the grid, but who knows), they'll have Kevin Garnett as a sort-of trainer.
About Steph (and Riley) Curry's presser: Why is the Internet the worst?
Casciaro: Because what was a funny and sweet moment involving an adorable child was ruined by seasoned beat reporters who should know by now that postgame pressers are usually meaningless anyway. There was no in-game controversy or injury to discuss or some burning question left unanswered. Curry was speaking after a pretty routine Warriors' win. What exactly did you think you were missing by his daughter distracting him from questions that were far from hard-hitting? Riley Curry having fun on the podium shouldn't impede your ability to meet a game recap deadline.
Chick: The Internet is the worst because an entire media crisis came and went in a few hours over a toddler's antics at an NBA postgame podium. The Internet is the best because I'm pretty sure you could educate a brilliant, well-balanced child from birth to age 20 using Wikipedia alone.
Morsy: Steph wasn't the first player to showcase his offspring at the playoff postgame podium - this year alone, we've seen the same parental pride from Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and Derrick Rose. However, it was Riley Curry who stole the show after Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Although she's not old enough to know what social media is, she's become a hashtag before reaching kindergarten. ESPN's Brian Windhorst said what every media member was thinking. Despite Windhorst's unpopular stance, I agree with his idea of limiting postgame child appearances to series-clinching victories. Bringing one's son or daughter to the podium after a tough loss makes the already challenging question-answer period exponentially more awkward, and the easiest way to curb cute - but ultimately pointless - web phenomena such as Riley's star turn is to abide by Windhorst's directive.