People LOVE Power Rankings in sports. It’s pretty stupid. So, of course, I have MY Stupid Power Rankings. I take 10 things (maybe more!) from the NBA and WNBA (or not) in the past week (well, today’s an exception) and rank them accordingly. You don’t like them? Make your own rankings!
Late this week. I know they’re usually on Mondays but things happened. But I’m not abandoning the rankings like I did a couple of weeks ago.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Miami Heat.)
1) Miami Heat Are Back in the NBA Finals
Not even most die-hard Miami Heat fans saw this coming. Hell, some of us did not see them making the playoffs, let alone making the friggin’ NBA FINALS.
But it’s a testament to work ethic and team play. They may not have the most talented team in the Eastern Conference. Hell, they don’t even have the most experience. But Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, Bam Adebayo, Andre Iguodala, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Jae Crowder, Erik Spoelstra, Pat Riley, and everyone else stuck to their disciplined and tried-and-true Heat Culture and shocked the NBA world. It has to be vindication for Butler, who was cast aside by three other teams in the past because they couldn’t put up with his no-nonsense attitude.
Now Butler’s in the NBA Finals. And it would honestly be even more shocking if they won it all.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images.)
2) Seattle Storm Return to the WNBA Finals
This was definitely not that shocking. The Seattle Storm were the 2018 WNBA champions and the reason they’re not going for a threepeat now is because Breanna Stewart tore her Achilles overseas and Sue Bird sat out the 2019 season with knee problems. Now both are back. Stewie seems stronger than ever and Sue Bird can still play at a high level. Now they await tonight’s winner of the other WNBA semis game.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Los Angeles Lakers.)
3) Lakers Punched Their NBA Finals Ticket
The Lakers weren’t a shock to reach the NBA Finals, either, but they had some doubters along the way (including me). Most pundits had the Clippers winning the West because they had a more talented roster up and down. But the Clippers collapsed and the Lakers got it together. It also speaks to team-building. The Lakers didn’t make the playoffs in the last 6 seasons yet they’re back in the NBA Finals. They got LeBron James and Anthony Davis then they had to put together a team of players most other teams didn’t want. They also got Frank Vogel for a coach and he wasn’t even their first choice! But they proved everybody wrong with this Finals berth.
🚨 BUZZER 🚨 BEATER 🚨 STORM 🚨 WINS 🚨#StrongerThanEver pic.twitter.com/RQYuQIM2lt
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) September 23, 2020
4) Alysha Clark Beats the Buzzer
This game was filled with a lot of threes but at the end of Game 1 in the WNBA semis between the Storm and the Lynx, it was a gritty putback by Alysha Clark before the buzzer that gave the win to Seattle. Clark doesn’t get a lot of play calls on the offensive end so it’s cool to really see her get the shine.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Chris O’Meara/AP.)
5) Alyssa Thomas Returns From Injury
Alyssa Thomas got hurt after just five minutes of play on Game 2 of the WNBA semis between her Connecticut Sun and the Las Vegas Aces. She apparently separated her right shoulder. She already has, as documented by a ton of people, two torn labrums.
It’s not surprising she came back for Game 3. It doesn’t make it any less incredible. She played all but 74 seconds in that game. Thomas went for 23 points and 12 boards. And she made a clutch steal and lay-up with 45 seconds left in that all-important contest. This woman is indestructible.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Tea With A & Phee.)
6) Podcast Hosts Combine For 13 Blocks
Yes, I’m a podcast host but I did not partake in one of those 13 swats. But WNBA stars A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier host a podcast together called Tea With A & Phee. A’ja Wilson went for 7 blocks in Game 2 against the Sun wh ile Napheesa Collier had 6 blocks in Game 1 against the Storm.
This podcast literally hosted a block party.
This Jamal Murray layup was incredible 😱 pic.twitter.com/hsDg3rJyJ0
— ESPN (@espn) September 25, 2020
7) Jamal Murray’s Lay-Up
Look at this Air Jordan-esque lay-up by Murray. Wooooo. That was SWEET.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.)
8) Tyler Herro Goes For 37
Tyler Herro was always in the mix in all the Heat playoff games. But in Game 4, he had an overwhelming presence. Herro scored 37 points, 17 in the 4th quarter and helped his Heat get a 3-1 series lead in the ECF. Only one player under 21 years old has scored more than him in the playoffs. His name? Magic Johnson scored 42 points in the 1980 NBA Finals. You know, the one you’ve seen in NBA documentaries everywhere? The one when he replaced Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at center and clinched the 1980 NBA Championship. THAT game.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Chris O’Meara/AP.)
9) An Angelic Third Quarter
The Las Vegas Aces were on the verge of being eliminated by the Sun. But new acquisition and living legend Angel McCoughtry was saved for these kind of moments. She scored 16 of her 29 points in the third quarter of Game 4 and she’s the main reason why there will be a Game 5 in an hour as I type this. Let’s see if she can have a big-time performance again.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Rick Osentoski/USA Today.)
10) Billy Donovan Accepts Bulls Coaching Gig
Billy Donovan didn’t extend his deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team he took to the postseason five straight years. Now he’s going to give the Bulls a shot. They might need more than a shot. They haven’t made the last three postseasons and look like one of the laughingstocks in the NBA. We’ll see what happens with Donovan in charge.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Mark J. Terrill/AP.)
11) Doc Rivers Is No Longer Clippers Coach
In somewhat of a shocking move, Doc Rivers and the L.A. Clippers have mutually parted. As we’ve heard over the last few weeks, the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets in the West semis. Not only that but they blew double digit leads in Game 5-7. The Clippers were picked as favorites to win the NBA championship (including me!). Instead, they were eliminated in embarrassing fashion and the Clippers must go on without Doc.
Doc Rivers will be a coach again in the NBA if he really wants it. But I wouldn’t be opposed to see him do TV work again, like he did in the late 90s and mid-2000s. Also, we remember his postgame interview when he said how this country doesn’t love black people back. That’s way bigger than basketball and I applaud Doc for that.
But now he is no longer the Clippers coach. Good luck to whatever he does in the future.
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
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