NBA Click & Roll: Suns steal the draft lottery and tackling the Jordan vs. LeBron debate
Welcome to Paste BN Sports' NBA Click & Roll newsletter.
This is where we bring you exclusive content from Paste BN's NBA reporters Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt, including updates on all their exploits on the NBA beat. Plus, we catch you up on the *biggest* moments, quotes and news from the week.
QUICK DISH: THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
This week, everybody wins. Casual NBA fans get riveting conference finals between the presumptive four best teams in the NBA, and hardcore followers get their fix on NBA draft news.
We're here for all of it, and then some.
Let's start with the irrefutable, undeniable, conclusive portion of the program: The LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan debate, otherwise known as the rabbit hole of NBA basketball. Sam and Jeff took some Major League cracks over which legend is the Greatest of All Time. Sure enough, Netflix announced a 10-part documentary series on Jordan's career slated for next year. You can be sure, given LeBron's uncanny memory, he already has his PhD in Jordanomics.
But while MJ's Hornets are out of the postseason, LeBron is busy polishing his playoff legacy. Trying to get to the Finals for a modern-record eighth consecutive time, James' Cavs are down 0-2. Boston might be the better team, but don't count James out just yet. James has been playing "hero ball", which is more or less the opposite of team basketball. He's also been relying on a playoff weapon he's honed for years.
The NBA announced that James is one of three finalists for the MVP, including Anthony Davis and James Harden. It's academic at this point, according to league observers. The award is going to Harden.
His Rockets showed up in Game 2 of their Western Conference finals and beat the Warriors at their own game. Their strategy of picking on Steph Curry is working.
The Warriors have a secret sauce, as Sam reported, and it's the reason for their ongoing dynasty.
This week carried huge ramifications for fans of teams who weren't in the postseason. The Suns, for the first time in franchise history, won the draft lottery. Take Arizona product Deandre Ayton or roll the dice on European sensation Luka Doncic? Here's a look inside their massive decision.
Perhaps they'll consider Michael Porter Jr., a No. 1 pick candidate prior to his back surgery. Porter Jr. said in Chicago this week that he still feels he's the best player in the draft. College basketball expert Jay Bilas called him the "most interesting" prospect given his injury history and his projection.
We rolled out our latest mock draft where Porter Jr. falls all the way to Orlando at No. 6.
Count Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban as a major fan of the Supreme Court's ruling on gambling this week. "I think everybody who owns a top four professional sports team just basically saw the value of their team double."
Check back next week as Sam and Jeff keep up their coverage from the conference finals