It feels like a lifetime ago that the Finals ended–the NBA draft came and went, free agency drama came and went, the Delta variant came and…errr…stayed–and yet it was only three weeks ago that Giannis lifted these two trophies.
As always, we’ll review and dissect the Finals, but first, let’s take a look at the final BSB(R) table and celebrate this year’s winner…
Ralph Sonenshine! Congrats to my uncle Ralph, the second straight winner hailing from my family (even if neither shares my last name). Ralph is doubly fortunate, because as of last week, he’s also a first-time grandfather! I guess it should be more than “doubly,” because otherwise we’d be equating BSB(R) victory to becoming a grandpa, but you get the point.
Ralph’s victory came down to the Bucks pulling out the win. Had the Suns won, we’d be congratulating Eric. Unfortunately, like Chris Paul and the Suns, he’s on the outside looking in.
About those Suns…
Finals Recap
The Suns looked like favorites at the start of the series with Giannis’ knee injury and his availability in question. And they looked like favorites even more after winning Games 1 and 2 at home in convincing fashion.
It turned out Giannis played Game 1, but the Suns never trailed after the end of the first quarter. Their dominant victory game despite getting outplayed from behind the arc. Chris Paul had 32–including 16 in the third–and the Suns looked more comfortable throughout the game.
In Game 2, the story was eerily similar, with the Suns winning easily after leading nearly the entire game. This time, Booker’s 31 points led the way along with MiIkal Bridges’ secondary scoring (27 points). One key difference, however, was Giannis. After posting “only” 20-17-4 in Game 1, Giannis exploded for 42-12-4 in Game 2. It was a sign of things to come.
The script flipped in Game 3. Giannis dropped 40+ again, Holiday had a good offensive game after struggling in the first two, Booker cooled off, and the Bucks led the rest of the game after taking the lead midway through the second quarter.
Game 4 finally gave us a classic Finals game. Booker returned to form (42 points) but he didn’t get any help (CP3 had 10 points). Meanwhile, Middleton had his best game of the series (40 points) and Giannis once again dominated the entire floor. Phoenix led by two with two and half minutes left. That’s when Middleton went off–he hit the next two baskets to give Milwaukee a 101-99 edge with 1:28 to play. On the next play, the Suns nearly tied it up with an Ayton alley-oop, but Antetokounmpo recovered to block the dunk in a way that only Giannis can with his recovery speed, length, athleticism and feel for the game. After that play, neither team could score for nearly minute, and somehow the Suns had the ball down 2 with 32 seconds left. Unfortunately, that’s when Chris Paul turned it over, ending any chance the Suns had to sneak in a road win.
Back in Phoenix with the series tied 2-2, Game 5 was similar in arc and excitement. The Bucks’ big 3 were all on their games and Booker again dropped 40. This time Paul gave him some support (21 and 11), but the Suns had no answer on D for the Bucks’ offense, who had the best showing of any team all series on offense. Phoenix led big early, going up 16 at the end of the first. But the Bucks quickly came back in the second, and actually led at the half 64-61. The Bucks built up their lead throughout the second half and had a 14-point lead with about 9 minutes to play. Phoenix cut that to a 119-120 deficit after a Chris Paul layup with a minute left. After an extended possession that ended in a Holiday miss, the Suns had the ball down one with 29 seconds to play. This time, it was a Booker turnover that sealed the Suns’ fate. Holiday stole the ball from Booker with 16.7 seconds left, raced down the court, and threw Giannis a game-clinching alley-oop. Giannis actually missed his free throw, but Giannis got his own rebound, passed it to Middleton, and the rest was history.
Game 6 was in Milwaukee, and the Bucks had the chance to close the series out on their home floor. Again, it was a close game–neither team led by more than 8 after the an early run by the Bucks, and the Suns only trailed by 4 with 76 seconds to play. The Suns had no answer for Giannis, though, who had 50 points on 17-19 free throw shooting. He dominated both ends (5 blocks), carrying the Bucks despite little production from his teammates. The Suns got decent play out of Chris Paul, but Booker had a subpar game and Ayton vanished off the face of the earth. For Giannis, it was the cherry on top to a dominant series. He was the Finals MVP, and it wasn’t even close.
Assorted Finals thoughts, Bucks edition:
- The main takeaway is that Giannis is now that dude. No one can say “he can’t get it done in the playoffs” or “until he learns to shoot, he’ll never be the league’s best.” In 10 years from now, the only thing people will remember about this series is Giannis cementing his status as an all-time great. He scored 50 in a closeout game while conquering his biggest weakness (free throw shooting). He had series-altering plays at the end of Games 4 and 5. He dropped 40+ three times. He made clutch jumpers–not just dunks. All of this while playing on a hyperextended knee that many thought would sideline him the entire series. After bowing out the previous two years as the top seed and coming in this year as the three seed, few had the Bucks making it to the Finals, let alone winning it. After all, can’t you just “wall up” Giannis? Or foul him if he gets too close? It’s not always pretty with Giannis, but he was dominant in every series. It truly looked like he “found” something, not unlike watching LeBron break a mental barrier during his first ring. Of course, he’ll have his work cut out for him against the superteams he’ll face next year and into the future. No matter what, Giannis showed that he’s a winner on the biggest stage in basketball.
- Khris Middleton can’t be guarded, even if no one will ever call him a superstar. He didn’t always make his shots, but he always gets to his spots, and that is a super valuable skill in the trenches of the Finals. Middleton hit absurdly clutch shots all series long. This one comes to mind from Game 5. What can anyone do there? Giannis can’t do that. Jrue can’t either–at least not this series. Middleton isn’t Kevin Durant, but he can get a bucket when the team needs it. To me, his defense, resilience against elite defense, and shooting come together to make him better than any Suns player in the series. Chris Paul is too small and his scoring is too one dimensional. Booker’s defense isn’t as good, and he’s not quite as good of a shooter, either.
- The Bucks dominated with the Middleton-Giannis PnR, as was evident in this clutch play. The Suns were helpless–Middleton needs only a little bit of daylight, but it’s too dangerous for the secondary defender to help even for a second off of Giannis. Its simplicity makes it even more dangerous.
- Holiday was a mystery–he was simultaneously a beast on defense and inconsistent (and at times, awful) on offense. He couldn’t finish at the rim or get his outside shot going. He passed the ball well enough, but if the Bucks are going to compete with Brooklyn, they are going to need more out of him as a scorer.
- In any Finals series, there are role players who seem like heroes, at least temporarily. Brook Lopez, Connaughton, and Tucker all had their moments, but Bobby Portis was the fan favorite. He endeared himself to viewers everywhere and feels like he’ll be important glue in their bid for a repeat.
Assorted Suns thoughts:
- Poor Chris Paul. He dragged the team further than they could have imagined. He overcame injuries and Covid. He was the best player on his team (even though he had a poor Game 4, including the turnover at the end). It’s likely his final chance to win a ring, and it’s all gone. Maybe he’ll surprise us again next year. But if he does win a right, it will likely be one of those “ring-chasing” championships, rather than as the Finals MVP. His game worked in the Finals, but it also felt narrow–too reliant on midrange jumpers. It’s tough to ask more of him at this age, because the fact is that the Chris Paul of old–probing the paint, hitting contested layups, getting to the free throw line–is a thing of the past. Unfortunately, in the Finals when you need all of the tricks up your sleeve, it’s tough to see him winning a Finals MVP–something that’d be feel like vindication after a career full of playoff misfortune.
- Devin Booker is clearly a talented scorer and capable of taking over in the NBA Finals. He had two games with 40+ (and once put up 70 in the regular season). He’s also still just 24. But that youth showed up in the Finals, too. His handle isn’t always surefire when the game is tight (including in moments against the Clippers). His sense of timing, as far as what play to make when, comes and goes. His future is bright, but he’ll have to be more consistent and more impactful beyond scoring if he ever wants to be a first-team All-NBA player. Like Paul, he also seems too dependent on the midrange
- Ayton was good the whole series, up until the final game, where he laid an egg. Ayton’s Game 6 was a reminder of just how mental sports can be. He looked scared, timid, and it resulted in an uncharacteristic inefficient night where he also could not stop Giannis. His future is also bright, but the Suns’ offense will open up the moment Ayton proves a real threat from three–a real possibility given his proficiency at the free throw line and touch around the rim.
- With Chris Paul’s return, the Suns are running it back. And although this year felt like the stars aligned for them, they are in a solid position to return to the Finals. Leonard may miss the season. for the Clippers. The Lakers are old with no shooting. It’s unclear when Jamal Murray will return for the Nuggets. The Jazz have yet to prove they can win in the playoffs. the Mavericks still can’t find a second star to pair with Luka. And the Warriors are not a guarantee to return to their pre-KD levels of six years ago. They will be relying on internal development from their players, but Booker, Bridges, and Ayton all still have lots of room to grow into. Maybe the Suns will have some magic left in them, after all.
Alone In The Green Room 