Donovan Mitchell dominating on the ping-pong table in the bubble!
Via spidamitchell/IG:
Panel:
First Half
Should Oladipo play in bubble if healthy?
As a healthy scratch, Oladipo was slated to be paid for his time in the bubble, but the Pacers support Oladipo’s decision and are willing to pay him the salary whether he plays or not
Victor Oladipo's $3 million in remaining salary is in dispute as he reconsiders his playing status for Pacers in bubble, sources say: https://t.co/e909NwkzSp
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 14, 2020
“If he’s healthy, why not be there to support your team? He’s their guy. He gives them hope in the playoffs in an unprecedented setting” – Pierce
“Don’t miss out on taking advantage of being in the NBA. You cannot get these games back. If you’re healthy, go ahead and give it a shot. You’re down there anyway” – Perkins to Victor Oladipo
“The Pacers are a dangerous team without Oladipo .With him playing, that makes them more dangerous. They have a really good team” – Perkins
WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne denied medical opt-out request
She has been treated for lyme disease for years. She says that an independent panel of doctors has told her that, it’s from the WNBA and the players association they have deemed her not at high risk for COVID-19 and therefore, she is able to play in the league’s bubble. That opinion differed from the one given by Delle Donne’s personal doctor who deemed her high risk. As a result, Delle Donne must decide whether to join the Mystics and if she does, she’ll get her full pay or she can still opt out of the season. But if so, she gets no pay at all because of the medical panel that was convened by the league and the union together.
Discussion:
Expect Kawhi to flip the switch again this postseason?
Doc Rivers on restrictions for Kawhi: “No Limits”
“You have some guys that worry about regular season, making the all-star game and the All-NBA team. Kawhi doesn’t care about none of that. All Kawhi is waiting on is the postseason. That’s where he flourishes well and he goes at a high level. With Kevin Durant being hurt, I think he’s the 2nd best player in the league. The league is in trouble because we already know what type of killer he is” – Perkins
“A no restriction, no limit on Kawhi will be the most dangerous player in the bubble. He will be the best player in this year’s playoffs. This is the perfect scenario for him. If he makes it through these eight games, expect to see greatness once again” – Pierce
Perk followed that up with:
“P. Did LeBron retire? LeBron James has already been better”
Continuing the countdown to the restart of the NBA season:
#19 – Chris Boucher posterizes Darius Bazley!
#18 – Derrick Jones Jr. posterizes Jonas Valanciunas!
#17 – Trae Young puts LaMarcus Aldridge in a blender!
If you missed plays 26-20:
#26 | #25 | #24 | #23 | #22 | #21 | #20
Class is in session for the Golden State Warriors!
Grading Warriors strengths entering offseason:
“They have something that they can build around for the future” – Pierce
“Wiggins doesn’t have to be a No. 1 pick on this team. He will be Harrison Barnes 2.0. With him being in that culture, in that winning environment and around those great vets and coaches to mentor him, on the defensive side of things and bring that dog out of him, this is the best situation for him. The Warriors struck gold by acquiring him for a third option guy” – Perkins
Grading Warriors weaknesses entering offseason:
“In the past, the Warriors strength has been in numbers. It’s not there right now. Some of their players are G-League players. Hopefully with the draft pick they get, they can revamp the roster surrounding the the star players that they have and possibly make another title run because the rest of the guys, a lot of them were fill in players due to the injuries this year and you won’t see a lot of them on the roster next year” – Pierce
“Draymond disappointed me this season. I thought he was going to elevate his game offensively and shock the world. I thought he was gonna come out and prove a point. He took a few steps backwards” – Perkins
2003 – A young LeBron James with the spin move and drive to the basket for the one-handed jam and completing the alley-oop jam in NBA Summer League!
Second Half
Remember back when Lance Stephenson tried to dunk over Marc Gasol and it did not go well? That’s been making the rounds again on IG:
So with that, let’s…
2016: Melo (After the whistle) vs Blazers
2005: Travis Outlaw airballs a dunk
1991: ‘Nique comes up short on the windmill
2007: Everything goes wrong for Tyrus Thomas
2011: Von Wafer celebrates prematurely
2010: JaVale gets a tad too ambitious
Paul, on a funny missed dunk from 2016 in Brooklyn when he played for the Clippers:
“Even though I got fouled on the dunk, CP3 had to resuscitate me to get me back out there. He was like, The old guy going up for the dunk? Let me help him out'”
Fan of Sixers lineup tweaks going forward?
Coach Brett Brown is tinkering with his first team. He is trying out Shake Milton at PG which means that Ben Simmons goes from the one (PG) to the four (PF). The idea is to take advantage of his speed and versatility. Al Horford moves to a bench role
Simmons on playing different positions:
“I really like it. Simmons can play a role similar to Giannis. A guy who can get the ball from time to time in transition.Mmaybe this would change their identity on how they operate on offense and they can become more effective” – Pierce
“Simmons is all in. Thank you, Brett Brown! Simmons and Embiid can play together. Coach Brown has to find a way to make it work” – Perkins
Richaun Holmes back in quarantine after leaving bubble to pick up food delivery
There will be a financial penalty if a player breaks quarantine once the seeding games start on July 30. Each game missed will project to roughly 1% of salary. The Richaun Holmes situation would have cost him close to $50K for every game missed.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 13, 2020
“The rules are in place for a reason. The only way that this is gonna work is if the players hold themselves accountable and do the right thing. Safety comes first” – Perkins
“I’m glad this happened now so players can see that this is not a game. Somebody has to be made an example for everyone to take this serious” – Pierce
“I want to point out: players can get food delivery here. It just has to be prescribed through a specific process. You can’t just meet someone at the gate. Richaun. Listen to your mother” – Nichols
Eight X-Factors in title race by Kirk Goldsberry
Continuing the countdown to the restart of the NBA season, here is #16:
Jaxson Hayes posterizes Cheick Diallo!
Expectations for Luka in playoffs?
“I expect special things from this kid. He’s probably, to me, the most talented player in the NBA today and the lights are never too bright for him” – Pierce
“He’s a top 5 player in the league. I expect nothing less but what we’ve been seeing of him of late and that’s greatness. He’s going to flourish well in the Orlando bubble” – Perkins
“He’s gonna perform [like an MVP candidate] even greater than he did in the regular season because they’re short three players going into this bubble, specifically a guy like Dwight Powell who was an impactful player for them. The way the Mavs win is when he shoots the three ball really well. In losses, he shoots the ball 13 percentage points lower from three than in wins, even though his points per game are pretty much the same. As Luka goes is how the Mavs will go” – Sedano
Trust Porzingis in role of second star on Mavs?
“I do, but not in this particular situation. He’s still trying to grow into that role. While I think he’s got all the skills in the world to be that No. 2 compliment to Luka, they’re still trying to figure each other out a little bit” – Sedano
“He’s gonna fit well into his role. He was finally getting healthy right before the pandemic and he was showing flashes of being able to be that robin for Luka” – Perkins
“How many second fiddle guys do we call a unicorn? Not many. That’s good enough to be your best player on the team. He’s been put in a robin position. I think on nights where Luka doesn’t have it, he’s more than capable and he showed it when Luka was out. With this layoff, I think he’ll be more than ready” – Pierce
“It’s adjustment to learn how to play off of someone like Luka a little bit differently and then of course an adjustment after that injury” – Nichols
2004 – Shaq to the Miami Heat!
Shaq Trade Anniversary
Significance of Shaq trade to Heat in 2004?
Shaq would finish 2nd in MVP voting in his first year in Miami and won a championship in 2006
Sedano:
Tim Duncan will not join Spurs in the bubble (Didn’t make it on the air):
Celtic Pride
It’s been an emotional few days for me. And, while I couldn't be more excited for the opportunity in front of me at Duke University, I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the team I’m leaving behind. These men have changed my life. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/zALBSwvkGH
— Kara Lawson (@karalawson20) July 14, 2020
Do Rockets have enough time to re-integrate Russ & Harden?
D’Antoni on Rockets ability to overcome:
“They have plenty of time to be ready for the playoffs” – Pierce
“They got more than enough time. The bubble is an AAU setting. It’s a better fit for the Rockets. They are going to capitalize on this. Harden and Westbrook will hit the ground running. They have a great chance of winning this year’s championship. They’re my darkhorse contender” – Perkins
