The Epic Turnaround of the Phoenix Suns (7/4/21)

Cameron Payne writes his own NBA reclamation story - Bright Side Of The Sun

Just four years ago, in the 2017-18 season, the Phoenix Suns were awful. They were last in the league in offensive and defensive ratings. Young star Devin Booker was playing for a team where his second best player was T.J. Warren (pre-bubble, of course). Their recent lottery picks, Dragan Bender and Josh Jackson, weren’t performing like they should have. They finished with a record of 21-61. 

In the 2018 offseason, two major things happened for the Suns. GM Ryan McDonough drafted Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges. He was also fired and replaced by James Jones. 

James Jones made the trade to acquire Kelly Oubre early in that season. Oubre is an important piece in the Suns story. 

The Suns finished with a 19-63 record in the 2018-19 season. That’s worse than the previous season, but the core was now there. Book, Ayton, Oubre, Bridges, and Warren. 

The 2019 offseason was big for Phoenix. It started off with the T.J. Warren trade, which was a weird one because all they got in return was some second round picks. Cam Johnson was drafted, and many people considered him a bad pick. Selecting a guy who was already 23 years old in the lottery seemed crazy. 

Josh Jackson, De’Anthony Melton, and two seconds were traded for Jevon Carter (which in hindsight is a kind of a bad trade. Jevon is solid, but Melton is better, and so is Josh. It’s the only “bad” trade that James Jones did). 

2019 free agency for the Suns was headlined by the resigning of Kelly Oubre, and the arrival of Ricky Rubio. Those signings were made possible by the T.J. Warren deal, which cleared up money (the trade didn’t look as bad after free agency). 

Monty Williams was hired this offseason, who has proven to be an excellent coach. 

The 2019-20 season was a turning point for the Suns. They became the Valley Boyz, a name coined by Kelly Oubre. Fueled by strong play from Book, Oubre, Ayton, Rubio, Bridges, and Cam Johnson, the Suns were in the playoff hunt. Then, COVID hit and the NBA shut down. When the bubble was announced, Phoenix’s record was good enough to send them to Orlando. Unfortunately, Oubre had gone down with a knee injury and would miss the bubble. 

When the bubble was announced, the NBA allowed teams to sign free agents and fill out their rosters. This is my favorite part of the Suns story. They were on the brink of the playoffs. Usually, teams fighting for a playoff spot want veterans to fill out their roster. Guys like Gerald Green, Iman Shumpert, and Boogie Cousins were available for the Suns. 

Instead, Phoenix picked up Cameron Payne.

Cam Payne was picked at the end of the lottery in 2015. For the first few years of his career, he wasn’t good. In fact, in 2017 a Chicago Bulls coach said Cam could not play at an NBA level. 

So, if Cam wasn’t an NBA player, why would James Jones sign him? Well, I don’t know, but he clearly saw something that nobody else did.

The 2020 NBA Bubble is where the Suns got over the hump. 

First came a win against the Wizards. Nothing special, Bradley Beal didn’t play.

Then came a two point win against the Mavericks. That was a big win, because Luka had 40 that game and Porzingis had 30. 

After that was the defining win against the Clippers, where Book hit the game winner. That was a big one, because the Clippers were title contenders. 

Next came four more wins. One against Indiana and bubble god and former Sun T.J. Warren. One against the Eastern Conference champion Heat. One in a 27 point blowout against the Thunder. The final was against Philadelphia. 

The Phoenix Suns were now 7-0 in the bubble, the last undefeated team. Their final game was a rematch against the Dallas Mavericks. Could they win, and complete the undefeated run? Yup. They overcame a 18 point and 20 rebound game from Boban Marjanovic and took a 26 point win. 

They had done it. They finished 8-0. Booker was awesome. Ayton, Bridges, Rubio, and Johnson all did their thing. Dario Saric and Jevon Carter were solid. But, most importantly, Cameron Payne played great. That’s right, the guy who wasn’t supposed to be an NBA level player averaged 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists while shooting a sizzling 52% from three in 8 wins for the Suns. 

Unfortunately, the 8-0 surge was not enough to land Phoenix in the playoffs. But, the Suns now knew that they were capable of big things. 

That’s why they traded for Christopher Emmanuel Paul.

That was a crazy trade, too. Chris showed what he brought to a team when he led the Thunder to the playoffs in 2020. He was obviously a top point guard. Despite his age, you would expect a large return. 


Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre, and only one first round pick (Ty Jerome as well) isn’t exactly a large return (of course, Sam Presti turned that return into a lot more, but I can’t talk about that in this article). It was tough to see Kelly Oubre go, because he was a significant part of creating the winning culture in Phoenix. OKC had to get something valuable in return for Chris, so I guess he had to go (that’s a joke, Ricky Rubio is a solid player). 

The Chris Paul trade was made possible by the T.J. Warren deal back in 2019. If he wasn’t traded, the Suns wouldn’t have been able to acquire Ricky Rubio and resign Kelly Oubre. 

The 2020 free agency class was solid for Phoenix. Jae Crowder was the headliner. Crowder is a winning player. He’s the perfect guy to have on your roster if you’re looking to contend. Dario Saric, who’s become a solid stretch center, returned. Jevon Carter, the scrappy backup guard also came back. Langston Galloway and E’Twaun Moore were signed. Frank Kaminsky returned, which I think was a funny thing because Phoenix waived him, he signed with Sacramento and was waived, and then Phoenix brought him back afterwards

The final piece of this roster, Torrey Craig, was acquired at the trade deadline for practically nothing. I dislike that the Bucks did this deal, because I was really excited when they signed him in the 2020 offseason. It is what it is, I guess. 

So, with a roster led by Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, and Jae Crowder, everybody knew the Suns were gonna be good. And they obviously are. This story is just so crazy because of how Phoenix went straight from missing the playoffs to the Finals.

So, shoutout to James Jones, who’s one of the best GMs in the NBA. Shoutout Monty Williams, who’s awesome at his job. Shoutout to Devin Booker, who’s been continuously great throughout his whole career. Shoutout Chris Paul, the ultimate point guard and leader who really pushed Phoenix over the top. Shoutout Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges, who are both really great young guys with bright futures. Shoutout Cameron Payne, who’s success story is one of the best. Shoutout Frank Kamisnky. Shoutout Kelly Oubre, the man who created Valley Boyz. Shoutout T.J. Warren, the guy who was sacrificed to make the Chris Paul trade happen (indirectly, of course). Shoutout Josh Jackson, who’s kinda reviving his career. Shoutout Dragan Bender because he’s a former Buck.

I really love the Suns roster, and I hate that I have to root against them now. 

So, that’s the story of the Phoenix Suns. Did you enjoy reading it? I hope so, I took time out of my vacation to write it (just kidding, I’m writing this at 9 o’clock so I’m not doing anything better). 

See you next time!

Detroit Basketball, Baby! (6/23/21)

Detroit Pistons: Where they stand in the NBA draft lottery

And the first pick in the 2021 NBA Draft goes to…

The Detroit Pistons!

Congratulations Pistons fans! I’m happy for you. The first pick is really big for a team whose franchise player was Andre Drummond for most of the decade. 

All signs point to Cade Cunningham being the number one selection. Although I’m not really a big college basketball guy, I know Cade’s really good. As long as Detroit doesn’t screw up his development, he’s gonna be special. 

The roster beyond Cade, however, is the main reason I wanted to write this article. Detroit has quietly built a really solid young core. 

Jerami Grant is obviously the guy in Detroit right now. He’s got the offense and the defense. Can he be the best player on a championship team? Absolutely not. Could he be the best player on a playoff team? Potentially, because I think the Pistons could make it next year. All in all, Jerami is a really good NBA player. (It’s cool to see him on the Olympics roster.)

I like Saddiq Bey a lot. He deserved his All-Rookie first team selection, no question about it. He’s a great shooter. I think he could be an All-Star one day. Look out for serious growth from him next season. 

Isaiah Stewart also looked good this year. He brought it in the paint on both ends of the floor. He even shot 33% from three, which is super impressive for a rookie big who didn’t really shoot in college. 

Killian Hayes showed flashes, especially as a playmaker. He wasn’t an efficient scorer, but that will come along. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do in a fully healthy season. 

Hami Diallo showed me this season that he’s more than just a dunker. He brings great energy. He’ll develop even further in coming seasons. 

Josh Jackson breathed some life into his career this season. He wasn’t very efficient this year, as he was towards the bottom of the league in stats like true shooting % and PER. His shot selection was iffy, but considering he had total freedom in Detroit that’s not surprising. In order to really see how good he is, he’s gonna have to play in a more controlled environment. Playoff contention in 2022 for the Pistons would shorten that leash. 

Frank Jackson is another player I like. For one reason or another, I decided to mention him in my preseason award prediction article as a dude who could make some solid improvement this year. That was pretty random at the time, but believe it or not, I was right. Frank was a really solid player off the bench for the Pistons this season. His efficiency jumped significantly this year (I’m linking you to his Basketball Reference page because I don’t feel like typing out all of his percentage increases). Dwayne Casey called him a keeper in an interview, and I agree. He seems to have found a home in Detroit. 

Despite only playing 30 minutes together, a lineup of Killian, Frank, Josh, Saddiq, and Isaiah outscored opponents by 32.9 points per 100 possessions, which was far and away the best out of any Pistons lineup. That’s a really small sample size, but it’s still a positive sign for Detroit’s young core. 

All in all, I like Detroit’s roster a lot. After a super mediocre 2010’s, things are looking bright for the Detroit Pistons. I’m here for it. 

Thoughts on the Kemba Walker Deal (6/18/21)

Al Horford to sit out Wednesday's matchup with Cleveland - CelticsBlog

The first trade of the NBA offseason went down today, and it involves some biggish names. Kemba Walker is headed to OKC. Al Horford is returning to Boston. Some draft picks are involved. If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the full deal. 

OKC Thunder get: Kemba Walker, 2021 16th overall pick, 2025 2nd round pick

Boston Celtics get: Al Horford, Moses Brown, 2023 2nd round pick

In my “what’s next for the Boston Celtics” article, I said that Kemba was still worth a decent young player or a protected first round pick. Moses Brown is that young player. I think he fits great with Boston’s timeline as a young guy to grow alongside Tatum and JB, and he’s also a good player who can help Boston win now.

The problem is that now Boston has four rotational centers on their roster. They already had Robert Williams and Tristan Thompson, and they just added Moses and Horford.

Tristan Thompson should get traded. He’s the odd man out in my opinion. Al Horford can run the four because he can stretch the floor. 

All in all, this was a decent return for Kemba. They cleared up some cap space, which is huge. The only problem is that they had to give up the 16th pick. Moses Brown is probably worth that, though, so it’s ok.

Celtics grade: B+

As for OKC, this was a solid trade. The main asset is that 16th overall pick. Sam Presti can use that pick to add to his stockpile of young players. 

Giving up Moses Brown is unfortunate, but he can be replaced. Evan Mobley should be available when OKC drafts in the top five. 

As for Kemba Walker, he probably shouldn’t stick around. The Thunder don’t need him. OKC on the selling end of a Kemba deal opens up a ton of possibilities, because they don’t need a super valuable asset in return. All they need is a couple draft picks. 

Some teams that might be looking for Kemba include the Clippers, Dallas, New York, and Chicago. 

I think this was a good trade for OKC. They got rid of Al Horford, and got a more valuable player in return. They got another first round pick. Good work from Sam Presti.

Grade: A- (Would be an A if Moses Brown wasn’t involved)

So, those are my thoughts about the first trade of the 2021 offseason! What do you think about this trade? Let me know! Thanks for reading, and see you next time!

Thoughts on Bucks vs. Nets Game 5

Brooklyn Nets injury update: Jeff Green out at least 10 days with foot strain - DraftKings Nation
Hey, this is the bench mob blog. I’ve gotta show love to the bench guy!

Game 5 between the Bucks and Nets was crazy.  One of the best games of the playoffs so far. 

It made me incredibly mad. I tweeted a lot during that game, so if you want a simple summary of my thoughts, just visit my Twitter. 

Anyways, I have a lot of different things to touch on in this article. 

First off, Kevin Durant is top three right now. I haven’t decided for sure right now, and I won’t until after the playoffs when I release my top 100 list. But he’s obviously insanely good. His performance in game 5 was a masterpiece. I’m impressed with the fact that he played the entire game more than the points he scored, the rebounds he grabbed, or the assists he gathered. Definitely an all-time performance.

James Harden shouldn’t have played. He’s clearly not healthy. He couldn’t make a shot, and was playing lazy defense. I’m just glad he didn’t reinjure himself. It was really funny that he couldn’t hit a shot, but he could complain to the refs about everything and flop constantly. I like Harden but I’m tired of the flopping. 

Jeff Green deserves a ton of credit. He could not miss. KD is obviously the main reason for the win, but without Jeff Green the Nets probably would have lost.

Blake Griffin has overtaken Joel Embiid for my least favorite player in the NBA. He’s just a total jerk. I respect every single player in the NBA except for him. The main reason is he didn’t try and played bad just to get out of Detroit (That’s just so stupid. Why would somebody purposely play bad. Blake is not a Hall of Famer just because of that). Also, I’m tired of watching him clearly foul somebody and then still complain. He’s simply a clown. 

Giannis needs to get better. Crazy to say about a 2-time MVP, but it’s true. I am sick of watching him drive in a straight line to the hoop and pick up an offensive foul every time. I’m tired of watching him iso (it’s not his game to dribble a ton). I’m tired of watching him take mid range fade-aways. He had injured Harden guarding him on a crucial possession, and took a freaking fade-away. I love Giannis, but he makes me angry more than any other Buck. 

Middleton and Holiday need to play well in the same game. Jrue had a good game last night, but Middleton didn’t. Middleton played great a few games ago, but Jrue couldn’t make a shot. If they both play well, the Bucks will be a lot harder to beat. 

STOP ISOING SO MUCH, PLEASE! Especially with Giannis, it doesn’t work! You can’t win a game by isoing every possession. 

Fire Bud unless we win a championship. It’s time to switch it up. It’s not all his fault. But, sagging off of shooters and all of the iso is his fault, and those are two major problems. The Bucks just struggle with spacing and playing good offense in general, and that’s something a different coach could change. (I don’t really have a preference on who the Bucks hire. Rick Carlisle is apparently keeping an eye on the Bucks, but if he doesn’t come, maybe Becky Hammon would be a good option.)

Bryn Forbes should be taking more than one three when he plays. If he’s not getting open looks, it’s because the Bucks can’t play offense. 

I love Pat Connaughton and his energy.


Bobby Portis should have played last night. 

So there’s my jumble of thoughts from the most angering game all year. Do you have any other thoughts? Tweet me and let me know! See you next time!

Run it Back, Denver! (6/14/21)

The Denver Nuggets need to get Nikola Jokic some help |

The Denver Nuggets season is over, and it didn’t end in an ideal way. After beating Portland in 6 games, they got swept by the Phoenix Suns. Of course, Jamal Murray being injured is a large part of that. Anytime your second option goes down, you’re gonna be worse, so the Nuggets shouldn’t be too disappointed with the loss. 

Nikola Jokic was somewhat disappointing in the Phoenix series. His averages don’t look too bad (25 PPG, 13 RPG, 6 APG), but his 48/28/68 shooting splits aren’t good. Deandre Ayton plays great defense (His playoff defensive rating is 102, which is awesome. Rudy Gobert’s regular season DRTG was 100, for comparison), but if you’re the MVP, you’ve gotta do better. He’s good enough to carry a team to a win, and that should have happened at least once this series. Game 4 could have been that game until he embarrassed himself. Unlike most people on NBA Twitter, I think Jokic deserved to be ejected. There is no excuse to take a swing at a man while playing a basketball game. It was super out of character for him. I was in awe when it happened. I found myself yelling at my TV while they were reviewing it, saying “get him the heck out of here.” They were playing well last night, and he screwed them over. That will probably frustrate him for a while. 

Michael Porter Jr. also kind of struggled in the Phoenix series, but I expected that. He’s never faced defensive attention like he did this playoffs. Plus, when your whole game is catching and shooting, it’s hard to play against intense defense. I don’t blame him for the loss, he’s not ready to be a top option yet. 

Will Barton is probably my favorite Nugget. I don’t really know why, but I just like his game. He does a bit of everything. He’s a defender, a shooter, and a playmaker. I could tell he really wanted to win last night. He brought tons of energy for Denver in the 3rd quarter. Unfortunately, he couldn’t do it on his own.

Facundo Campazzo also really wanted the win last night. He also brought great energy. I think he’s an All-Rookie player this year. 

I like Denver’s roster. I think they’re close to a championship. Although another All-Star would help, I’m not even sure if they need it. A fully healthy Nuggets team can make a Finals run next year. Their roster just works. Therefore, I’m not sure if they need to make many changes this offseason. Definitely not anything significant. Everybody important is locked up for at least next season. 

They should resign PJ Dozier, Austin Rivers, and Shaquille Harrison. Dozier was part of Denver’s best lineup (net-rating wise), and he’s a solid player. Austin Rivers is a good scorer and a solid defender, and he’s a good piece off the bench for Denver. Shaq Harrison is a great defender, capable of guarding guys like Damian Lillard. I think he should have got more playing time in the playoffs, but he can earn that time next year if Denver brings him back. 

I’d say they should sign a backup center (like Robin Lopez, maybe), but I think they have one on their bench. Please, Michael Malone, PLAY BOL BOL! He’s a special player in terms of his build and skill set, and he could be really good with some development. The best way to develop a player is to put him in the game. 

So, what’s next for the Denver Nuggets? Running it back. 

Do you agree, or not? Tweet me and let me know! Thanks for reading, and see you next time!

What’s Next for the Portland Trail Blazers? (6/5/21)

NBA Playoffs: Blazers should be on thin ice with Damian Lillard after losing Game 5

Another first round exit for the Portland Trail Blazers. That’s unfortunate. Losing to a Denver Nuggets roster missing their second best player is not the way that Portland wanted to go out. Damian Lillard definitely didn’t want to lose. Over the six games, he averaged 34 points and 10 assists while shooting 45% from three. His 12 3PM performance in Game 5 was insane (I’m still mad that the game wasn’t on national TV), and I can’t believe his teammates lost the game for him. 

So now it’s time for the Blazers to make some serious changes. Parting ways with Terry Stotts is a good start, but the roster also needs some changes. 

To start, Portland needs multiple good 3&D forwards. They struggle a lot on defense. They need guys that can guard the LeBrons and the KDs of the league. Robert Covington is good, but his inconsistency on offense makes him replaceable. 

The dream pickup is Jerami Grant. Not only is Jerami another scorer who can take pressure off Dame and CJ, he’s also a good defender. As a borderline All-Star player who can still improve, he has decently high trade value, but I think Portland could pull off a deal. The trade would probably look something like this:

Portland gets: Jerami Grant

Detroit gets: Robert Covington, Zach Collins, 2023 1st Round Pick unprotected, 2025 1st Round Pick lottery protected

The big piece here is Zach Collins. He’s a former lottery pick who can stretch the floor and rebound the basketball. He’ll struggle to grow if he stays in Portland, but in Detroit he could move in as the starting four. Robert Covington is just to match salaries. 

I don’t really know what Detroit would want for Jerami Grant, but I feel like that’s a solid trade. 

If Jerami Grant wasn’t available, two other players I think would be great for the Blazers are Kelly Oubre and Harrison Barnes. A trade for either of those guys would involve Derrick Jones and a pick of some kind. 

Another thing Portland could use is a rim protecting center. Myles Turner is the dream pickup, but I’m not sure if Indiana would be interested in Jusuf Nurkic. 

The main thing Portland has to consider is trading C.J. McCollum. I don’t think it’s necessary, but he has some good trade value and Portland could get a really good player for him. I just don’t know who that player would be. 

C.J. also might need to go if Portland wants to re-sign Norman Powell. Norman is really good, and if Portland plans to have him come off the bench he might decide to sign elsewhere. 

In the end, Portland needs to go all in on winning as long as Damian Lillard is on the roster. If they can’t become contenders, Dame might leave. Portland fans don’t want to see that, and neither do I. So please, Neil Olshey and the Blazers organization, do a good job this offseason. 

So, this was a messy article, but so is the situation Portland is in. Do you agree that they should go all in on winning, or do you think they should trade Dame and rebuild? Let me know on the new Bench Mob Blog Twitter! Thanks for reading, and see you next time!

We Love the New York Knicks (6/3/21)

New York Knicks Basketball

After an overachieving 2021 season, the New York Knicks are finally done. They kinda got crushed by the Hawks, but that doesn’t matter. The Knicks had the most successful 2021 NBA season.

The big reason why is, of course, their overachievement record wise. Nobody (besides maybe some die hard Knicks fan) had them finishing anywhere near the playoffs this year. I had them at 29th in my preseason power rankings, and here’s what I had to say:

“The Knicks suck. They young guys they have never pan out because they can’t develop players. My example is how New York killed Dennis Smith Jr.’s career. They will be awful again this year. Obi Toppin will probably be a bright spot. I don’t have much else to say.”

Yikes. That’s embarrassing. 

The Knicks obviously didn’t suck this year. The most impressive part was that they actually had young guys pan out. R.J. Barrett showed why he was the third overall pick in 2019. Immanuel Quickley was a top steal in the 2020 draft (he was picked 25th overall). Obi Toppin wasn’t some crazy bright spot like I predicted, but he was still solid (he stepped up in the playoffs, which you love to see from a rookie). Unfortunately Kevin Knox didn’t get any better, but that’s all good. 

The biggest welcome surprise was of course the 2021 Most Improved Player, Julius Deion Randle. This guy deserves only respect from every NBA fan. His regular season was All-NBA worthy. He did everything on the court. His improvement is truly amazing. 

He may have struggled in the playoffs, but I’m going to cut him a little bit of slack. He led a truly awful team and organization back to NBA relevance. Plus, to be the number one option in your first ever playoffs must have unbelievable pressure. 

Tom Thibodeau, my 2021 Coach of the Year, also deserves lots of respect. He made the Knicks a top defensive team. Also, Julius Randle credited a lot of his improvement to coach Thibs, which tells me a lot about Thibs as a coach. 

The Knicks veterans were awesome this year as well. Derrick Rose never fails to impress me with his high level of play despite all of the injuries he’s faced. Alec Burks is a pure scorer, and will be sought after by contenders for the rest of his career. Nerlens Noel should be in All-Defense conversations this year. Reggie Bullock, to me, is a truly underrated player. Not underappreciated, but underrated. He was great as the Knicks starting shooting guard, because he shot the ball well and played solid defense. 

At the end of game five last night, when Trae Young was dribbling the clock out (before he shot and made a final “eff you New York” triple), New York fans gave a standing ovation for their team. I’m very happy for those fans. They’ve endured so much pain the last few years that they deserve what the Knicks gave them this year.

All NBA fans should be happy for what the New York Knicks accomplished this year. It’s truly awesome. I might just start wearing the Knicks hat I picked up when I went to New York sometimes. 

(First of two notes: You’re welcome for the back-to-back-to-back articles. This obviously won’t be a consistent thing, but since I’m wrapping up school, I’ll have more time to write.)

(Second of two notes: The Bench Mob Blog now has a Twitter! I’ll tweet when I publish a new article, and whenever I feel the need to make a random comment on the NBA. Feel free to tweet me some thoughts on my articles.)

Thanks for reading, and see you next time!

What’s Next for the Boston Celtics? (6/2/21)

Boston Celtics: Kemba Walker has explosive performance in win over Suns

The Boston Celtics just lost in five games to Brooklyn. This outcome wasn’t unexpected, as even if Jaylen Brown was playing the Celtics just wouldn’t have been able to match the offensive output of the Nets. It’s still disappointing though, of course. 

After this loss, Danny Ainge stepped down from his GM/President of basketball operations position, which Brad Stevens is taking over. This change in front office should mean change for the Celtics roster. 

So, just like I did in my what’s next for the Miami Heat article, I’m going to talk about some things I would do this offseason to put Boston in the right direction. 

Explore Kemba Walker trades

I don’t think Kemba should be traded for nothing. It would be hard to do so because of his large contract, but trading him for something means not just some expiring contracts. I think Kemba’s still good enough to get at least one young player or a protected first round draft pick. 

The problem with exploring Kemba trades is I have no idea what teams would be interested in him. Most teams have a point guard that shouldn’t be replaced, or just straight up have no use for Kemba. 

One potential destination for Kemba is Dallas. The trade would be centered around a Kemba and Porzingis swap. 

Boston gets the younger player, which fits better with the timeline of their two cornerstones. Also, Porzingis could start alongside Robert Williams, allowing him to slide into his natural stretch four role. 

Dallas gets a guard who can take some scoring/ball handling pressure off of Luka, which would be a big help for him. They can replace Porzingis with a big who doesn’t need to shoot as much. Maybe Kelly Olynyk if they want a stretch, or Andre Drummond for traditional paint play (although he would have to be willing to be a role player for another season).

Both stars are injury-prone and somewhat inconsistent, but could benefit from a change of scenery. Both teams could also benefit from a change like this, because right now both are good, not great. 

If there’s no market for Kemba this offseason, I would legitimately consider a buyout. Kemba’s contract only gets longer over time, and his play could deteriorate over that time if he continues to get injured. A buyout should be the last option though. I’d take a G-League player and a second round pick before I released Kemba, because at least I’m getting something in return. 

Look to make the roster younger

I’m not saying tank. I’m saying that Boston should try to get as many young players who are already rotational pieces as possible. That means moving on from Tristan Thompson, so Robert Williams can become the full time starter (possible free agent replacements include Isaiah Hartenstein or Tony Bradley). That means giving more prominent roles to guys like Romeo Langford (who was pretty good in the playoffs), Aaron Nesmith, Payton Pritchard, and Grant Williams next year. That means try and sign some solid guys in free agency. 

Bruce Brown would be a great pickup. He’s a restricted free agent, so it would be tough to pry him away from Brooklyn, but Boston should definitely give him an offer. 

Don’t rush to resign Evan Fournier

Evan Fournier is a great player. Although he struggled for a little bit after he had COVID, he returned to his usual self closer to the end of the season. If Boston can resign him, that would be awesome. He and Marcus Smart complement each other nicely as a shooting guard tandem.

However, if Fournier wants more money than Boston can afford to pay him, then it’s not a big deal. All they gave up for him was two second round picks, which is hardly anything. 

So, in conclusion, I think that Boston’s goal should be to try and stay competitive while becoming younger. Jayson and Jaylen are young, and are in Boston for the long haul. If Boston could develop (rather than buy) a core around them, then that would be awesome. A young team means more money to spare, and a star player would definitely show interest in going to the Celtics in the future. 

Do you agree or disagree with my plan? Let me know! Look forward to more articles like this as teams get eliminated, and see you next time!

(P.S. I’ve been on the Jayson Tatum train. I said he’d be the eleventh best player in the league this year. That’s too high, but he’s top 15-17. He was a true superstar in the first round this year.)

What’s Next for the Miami Bubble Guppies? (6/1/21)

The Miami Heat, after making a Finals run in the 2020 playoffs, just got demolished by the Bucks. They got swept 4-0, and only one game was close (and that was the one Bucks struggle game. The Heat didn’t play well all series). That’s super disappointing.

So, because of this disappointing loss, we now know that the Heat need to make changes. They aren’t capable of winning a championship in their current state. So, I’m gonna talk about a few things I think they should do to return to contender status next season. 

First things first: Make a decision on Tyler Herro

We know Tyler Herro is pretty good. He definitely has potential. The problem is, he was inconsistent this year. That’s a bad sign (I talked a lot about him in this article, so I won’t say too much else here). Therefore, the Heat need to make a decision: do we trade Herro while we know for sure he has value, or do we keep him and hope he returns to his bubble state? 

I think he should get traded. Why? That leads to my next thing.

Acquire a scorer

I’m talking about a consistent 18-20 PPG guy that can score at all levels. That’s what Miami really needed in the playoffs, because everybody was struggling shooting the ball. Jimmy usually isn’t that. Bam isn’t that. Tyler could become one, but he isn’t that yet. 

The Heat have cap space. If they want to use that on a scorer, I think Norman Powell or Evan Fournier are the ideal targets. I like Norman Powell in Miami, because he’s a better defender than Fournier, but both would be good.

A trade involving Tyler Herro is the other way for Miami to acquire a scorer. The obvious target is Bradley Beal. I just don’t think that’s realistic. Maybe last summer, when Tyler’s value was at its highest, but not anymore. Therefore, I have another potential target:

Collin Sexton.

I know, not the perfect player. He’s not necessarily a willing passer, and he’s also a young player who is still developing. He’s not a great defender, which doesn’t fit Miami’s culture. But I think he’d be better than Tyler on the Heat, and it’s been rumored that Cleveland could listen to offers for Sexton. 

I think that Sexton would be able to have the ball in his hands in Miami, but he could also learn to play off the ball so Jimmy can facilitate. I think Sexton as an off ball would be great. I also think that Sexton would be an awesome sixth man if Coach Spoelstra opted to start the veteran Dragic. I think a Tyler for Sexton swap would work out well for both teams. I do think the Heat would have to throw in a few picks to get it done, but it would be worth it if they’re really all in on winning now. 

Tyler would be great for a young Cleveland roster. He has the All-Star potential. He has the ability to play on and off the ball, which is great because Darius Garland could slide in as the full time point guard. He could grow nicely on a team with no pressure and less media attention, which would benefit him immensely. 

Don’t pay Victor Oladipo, please

I don’t care how much he wants to be in Miami, I don’t want to see Oladipo in a Heat jersey next year. Not because he’s a bad player. He’s definitely not as good as he used to be, but he’s still a good player that fits nicely on the Heat. It’s just that he’s going to want a lot of money. If he won’t accept anything below $15 million, the Heat should not bring him back. He’s just not worth that much money. 

(Plus, Miami hardly gave up anything to get Oladipo, so letting him go is no biggie. If Duncan Robinson would have been involved like Houston wanted, this would be a different story.)

Do pay Duncan Robinson, please

Not more than $20 million though. He’s obviously a top shooter in the league, but he’s not worth All-Star money. He should get around $15 million, tops. The Heat need to keep Duncan for now, he’s too valuable to let go.

Resign Kendrick Nunn

He could be used in a sign-and-trade. If Miami decides they really want to go all in on Bradley Beal, Kendrick would have to be involved in the deal. He’s probably worth $10 million a year tops if Miami wants to keep him, but if he was involved in a sign-and-trade for a star player then he could get $15 million to make the money match. 

Bring back Nemanja Bjelica and Dewayne Dedmon 

Both are solid role players that did their jobs in the Bucks series. I think Miami should bring them back for a full season. 

In the end, Miami’s offseason comes down to two main points:

  • Acquire a scorer, it’s necessary
  • Don’t screw up your cap space

I definitely trust Miami’s front office to do their job well, but that’s what I would do if I was the Heat’s general manager (hey, this is almost like a “I become the GM of” article). 

Do you agree with my plan? What would you change? Are you angry because of this article’s title? Let me know! See you next time!

Thoughts and Takeaways From the First Playoff Games (5/24/21)

Dillon Brooks deserves this - Grizzly Bear Blues

What a start to the playoffs! I watched basketball all weekend. My whole life is watching basketball during the playoffs. The first games did not waste my time.

I’ve got some takeaways from these games. A few involve the play-in, the rest relate to the first playoff games played this weekend. Here we go!

(Before we start, I’ll mention the rebranding this blog went through. Finn’s Basketball Blog wasn’t an awful name, but the Bench Mob Blog is a lot better. Shoutout to my dad for designing the logo. I chose the Bench Mob because I have a strange obsession with lots of random bench guys in the NBA. Mike James, Tim Frazier, and Mamadi Diakite are a few of my favorites.)

KASH MONEY!!!

Middleton for the win! You love to see it. In the 2018 playoffs, Middleton made one of the five best shots I’ve seen/watched live. He made another clutch shot this year. It put the cap on a game that was kind of a struggle for a lot of players. Giannis was inefficient (10-27 from the field, 6-13 from the free throw line), Jimmy was extremely inefficient (4-22 from the field), Bam was inefficient (4-15), Tyler Herro was very inefficient (2-10), Divincenzo struggled (1-5), and a few others guys struggled as well. That’s kind of how I expected this series to go. It’s definitely a defensive battle type of matchup. I’m excited for the rest of the series (although if the Bucks lose, I’m going to lose it). This is definitely a top three (maybe top one) first round matchup in terms of viewing enjoyment and competitiveness. 

Luka has help, but not from who you would expect

Luka, as usual, was amazing in the first game against the Clippers. In a double-digit win, he put up 30 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, and 2 blocks. Of course, in order to win in the playoffs, the supporting cast needs to play well. That’s what happened on Saturday. Tim Hardaway Jr. put up 21 points (that man’s been hooping lately), Dorian Finney-Smith had 18, and Jalen Brunson added 15. 

However, the man getting paid $30 million to be Luka’s sidekick, Kristaps Porzingis, had a bad game. His problem is inconsistency (and injury). I don’t like his shot selection. He’s a seven-foot tall player that fades away when a small guard is switched on to him. I think the Mavericks (unless they have a crazy playoff run) should look to move on from KP this offseason. I’m not sure what they could get in return, but I don’t think he’s good as a second option. 

Poor Jokic… 

Jokic needs Jamal Murray. He was able to keep the Nuggets afloat after Jamal’s injury in the regular season, but he just lost by 20 to the Blazers in game one (and C.J. McCollum and Norman Powell weren’t efficient). Michael Porter Jr. (who I will admit is better this year than last. He’s pretty good. I do think R.J. Barrett deserved the nomination for MIP over MPJ though) shot 1-10 from three. This may be a five game exit for Denver. That’s an unfortunate way to end an MVP season for Nikola Jokic.

Ice Trae is in full force, and Danilo Gallinari’s hair sucks

Chants of “Eff Trae Young” turned into silence after Trae’s game winner against the Knicks. What a way to start his playoff career. Stop the Trae Young hate.

It really helped Atlanta that the Knicks were struggling. Julius Randle shot an ugly 6-23, R.J. Barrett shot 6-15 and Reggie Bullock was 0-5 from three. I’m sure they’ll turn it around. When they do, this will be an even more competitive series. 

(Shoutout to Alec Burks. He’s a bucket.)

Tobias Harris deserves his money

Tobias had an All-Star level regular season. He also had a superstar first game against the Wizards. He put up 37 points. Tobias is the perfect third option for a contender. He’s great, and his contract isn’t looking so bad anymore.

Joel Embiid added 30 points with 12 free throws. Ben Simmons had a Draymond performance (3-9 from the field, 0-6 from the free throw line, 15 rebounds, 15 assists). The 76ers looked really good on Sunday. 

Start Daniel Gafford please

In a game for Washington where every starter had a negative plus/minus, Daniel Gafford had +14. He’s an interior defender and a rim protector. Alex Len is solid, and Robin Lopez has an elite post hook (not kidding, he led the league in hook percentage this year. He makes them like everytime), but Daniel Gafford should be Washington’s starting center. 

Anthony Davis needs to get off the struggle bus or LA is screwed

The Lakers aren’t scary at all when AD isn’t playing well. Game one against the Suns is a great example of that. That’s because the supporting cast is a bit iffy at times. Dennis Schroder is an inconsistent scorer, Andre Drummond is a bad decision maker, KCP can be quite streaky (he was chucking up bricks on Sunday), and Kyle Kuzma’s inconsistent. Alex Caruso has been a bright spot recently, having solid offensive performances against Golden State and Phoenix, and he also plays solid defense. 

If AD doesn’t turn it around, then the Lakers could legitimately lose in five. LeBron can carry a team, but he still needs his supporting cast to make shots. 

The Phoenix Suns are serious contenders

Although picking him to win MIP this year didn’t work out, Deandre Ayton just had a great first game against the Lakers. Maybe he’ll win it in 2022. 

Devin Booker had an excellent playoff debut. He’s still not better than Donovan Mitchell, but he is still a top five shooting guard.


Chris Paul is a trooper. He left the game twice due to a shoulder injury, and still played 36 minutes. He’s the ultimate true point guard, and he’s such a great fit in Phoenix. 

Mikal Bridges is such a good 3&D wing. I don’t know if he’ll ever be an All-Star, but he’ll definitely become a top role player on a championship team. His skillset is so valuable. 

Phoenix also has a solid supporting cast. Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, Cameron Payne, Dario Saric, and Torrey Craig all play specific roles and play them well. 

I think Phoenix has a great chance of making the Finals. Potentially the best in the West. 

Them boys in Memphis are HOOPING

Wow, the Grizzlies have been playing great lately. They surprisingly made it out of the play-in, and then had a great win over Utah on Sunday. All of their guys are playing excellent basketball.

Jonas Valanciunas is a top six or seven center. He led the league in 20-20 games this season. He sets great screens, and grabs every single offensive rebound. 

Ja Morant is doing usual Ja Morant things, but he’s shot the ball well from downtown in the last couple games and that’s making him even harder to guard. He made five triples against Golden State. 

Kyle Anderson may be very slow, but he has a big impact for Memphis. This has truly been a breakout year for him. He’s a good defender, and his shot has improved this year. 

Desmond Bane is a sniper, and so is Grayson Allen. I thought it was wild that Grayson closed the game against Golden State with back-to-back triples.

Finally, Dillon Brooks has been playoff MVP so far. He’s played truly excellent defense (especially on DeMar), and he’s also been great on offense, especially when getting to the rim. He’s only 25. Could he maybe be an All-Star one day? We’ll see. 

So, those are some random takeaways and thoughts I have after watching the first 2021 playoff games. Do you agree with anything I said, or do you disagree? Do you have any other thoughts? Let me know! See you next time!