![]() ![]() In the closing seconds of Game 5 of the 2021 NBA Finals, the Bucks were clinging to a one-point lead when Devin Booker drove into the paint and got stripped by Jrue Holiday. Here are some key takeaways from the 2021 NBA Finals rematch: Holiday haunts Booker again With the defeat, they are now in a dead heat with the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. They were limited to just five points over the final five minutes, a problem that Durant's shotmaking likely would have solved. The Suns are hopeful that this will be their final game without Durant, who is still working his way back from an MCL sprain. The Bucks also got 22 points and 13 rebounds from Brook Lopez, while Jae Crowder stepped up with some big shots down the stretch against his former team. He came up with a clutch steal in the closing seconds to preserve the win, and finished with a game-high 33 points, four rebounds and five assists. Jrue Holiday led the way for the Bucks on both ends of the floor. But despite their absences, the two teams still collaborated on a thriller, which the Bucks won, 104-101, to extend their winning streak to 14 games. If the Celtics can get this roster to the postseason healthy, they’ll have a chance to prove my skepticism wrong.MILWAUKEE - The Sunday afternoon showdown between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns lost a little luster when it was announced that neither Giannis Antetokounmpo (quad) nor Kevin Durant (knee) would be suiting up. Maybe the Celtics’ ceiling has been raised, but the floor seems a lot shakier. But this feels like one where we need to mention the imbalance to the rotation these two moves have created. I normally try to grade trades for the individual move itself, with a sprinkling of how it relates to other moves. But this talent restructuring to get it done doesn’t make as much sense when building this rotation. ![]() I like the idea of Porziņģis being on the Celtics. I like the idea of Holiday being on the Celtics. Maybe it wouldn’t have been a harmonious season for him with Boston if he stayed, but Pritchard hasn’t been a reliable rotation guard up to this point. That’s not nearly as inspiring for the role players around Tatum and Brown.īoston had already tried to trade Brogdon this offseason, and his medicals are what kept him in town. Holiday is better than Smart, but you’ve gone from a three-guard rotation of Smart, Brogdon and Derrick White to a pairing of Holiday and White with maybe a sprinkling of Payton Pritchard. Maybe they convert Neemias Queta into a full roster spot? That’s a lot more Luke Kornet to sop up minutes unless the Celtics think they can play small with Oshae Brissett as a very small-ball big. Porziņģis without Robert Williams puts the Latvian big man and Al Horford under pressure to be available and healthy for big stretches of the season. Unless they have some guys to develop quickly who can make the rotation by January, the Celtics got a lot thinner without many solutions readily available to them. The Celtics weren’t exactly lacking depth before, but it wasn’t like they ran 12 deep. Brad was definitely not trying to get rid of Smart or Timelord, he was seizing opportunities to add talent where and how they manifested. The team would be a little less talented in its top 5, but younger, with less disruption, and with Timelord still here. Still, if you have Brad an opportunity to restart this offseason and have the Porzingis trade play out with Brogdon, I think he takes it and doesn’t make the Jrue trade. Having lost Smart, Jrue being available was too good an opportunity to pass up. Grant Williams leaving was a product of him simply not being worth the price he was paid and cap realities (plus Hauser probably already being better and maybe a bit of Stevens forcing the players to accept that). Instead the Clippers pulled out at the last minute and Stevens was forced to add Smart to that trade. If that trade had included Brogdon as originally structured, the Jrue trade never happens. Acquiring Porzingis was a rare opportunity to upgrade talent in a very significant way and lock in a very good player on a reasonable extension. Click to expand.I think this ascribes far too much intent to the way this offseason played out. ![]()
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