I love the NBA FinalsI would love to be a part of it one day.
As the 2023-24 season is about to enter its final act with teams looking to the future and Sixers Caught in a cycle of the same three rumors, it’s time to take a look at what’s happening in the NBA.
NBA Finals begin Thursday
The two teams that are not looking to the future are of course the The Dallas Mavericks And Boston CelticsWith Game 1 of the Finals set to begin Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. in Boston, it appears the Celtics will be getting reinforcements as the series gets underway.
Krisptaps Porizingis, who missed the last month of action after injuring his calf in Game 4 of the first round against the Miami Heat, is expected to return for Game 1. Dallas heads into this series as healthy as anyone can be at this time of year. Their star rookie Derrick Lively II suffered a scary neck injury in the Western Conference Finals but was able to return before the end of this series.
Topic Prospecting Project Tears ACL
More injury news broke this week that will likely have a big impact on the upcoming draft.
At just 18 years old, Topic averaged 14.5 points and 5.5 assists per game for Mega MIS and Red Star Belgrade in the Adriatic League last season. He shot 49.8 percent from the field and 30 percent from three-point range. Topic was projected as high as No. 4 overall in some mock drafts, and was ranked as the top point guard in this draft class by Tankathon.
This news will certainly attract the attention of teams outside the top 10 who now have a chance to draft Topic. That of course includes the Sixers, who currently have the 16th pick in the draft.
Latest news from the coaching carousel
Coaching research also continues to progress. The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the process of interviewing several assistants to replace JB Bickerstaff, and the The Los Angeles Lakers could be getting closer to their replacement for Darvin Ham.
Shams Charania of Athletic Yesterday, the Lakers announced that they are “focusing” on former Sixer JJ Redick to become their next head coach. This isn’t shocking news, as Redick has been linked to the Lakers’ coaching job since they fired Ham following their first-round elimination.
Redick first emerged as a potential coaching candidate when he interviewed for the Hornets’ vacant job last April. The last two months, which he’s spent doing podcasts with Lakers star LeBron James, have also added fans to that fire.
If Redick ends up on the sidelines next season, they will be the two color commentators ESPN lost in the coaching search after Doc Rivers left the booth to take over. Milwaukee Bucks mid-season employment.
