Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Prince J. Grimes.
The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly finalizing an agreement with Doc Rivers to make him their new head after parting ways with Adrian Griffin Tuesday. That finally feels safe to say after CNN Sports, of all places, strangely broke the news.
It has since been confirmed by multiple reports, and the floodgates of criticism are officially open. One, because the Bucks seemingly courted Rivers while Griffin was still coaching the team. Two, because it’s Doc freaking Rivers! The same dude who has come up short in the playoffs over and over again. How was this Milwaukee’s master plan?
Now, look, I completely understand the Bucks’ decision to part with Griffin. This team is in championship or bust mode, and despite their 30-13 record, they looked like a team that was headed towards bust. Which takes me back to Rivers. If you’re among the people dumbfounded by the team’s decision to bring him, I get it. But I’m more thrown off by his decision to even take the job.
This is a man whose coaching career has been defined by coming up short in the playoffs, blowing series leads at a historic rate. In a vacuum, some of those failures certainly weren’t on Rivers, but the zoomed-out picture isn’t kind to him, even with an NBA title to his name. After the Philadelphia 76ers fired Rivers, I was sure he’d be happy to step away from that heat and enjoy the comfort of the broadcast booth for at least a little while. But no, he’s jumping right back into the fire with a team that already seemed to be headed toward disappointment. It’s the ultimate all-in move.
If Rivers is somehow able to guide the Bucks to a title, he can repair the legacy of a 24-year coaching career in one half-season — and this team is talented enough. But anything short of a title, and it’ll be considered a failure. He’s going to take a whole lot of blame for something that was very likely going to happen anyway. I hope people keep that in mind if the Bucks fall short, but I highly doubt they will.
The Heat are doing that thing again
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Now feels like a good time to talk about the Miami Heat, since they are the last team to beat the Bucks in a playoff series, upsetting them as an 8-seed in the first round of last postseason.
Even after their run to the finals last year, I wrote off the Heat as a contender this year, because they seemed to have gotten worse in the offseason while everyone else was getting better. While the Celtics were adding Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis and the Bucks were adding Damian Lillard, the Heat were only losing players. Granted, they were role players — Gabe Vincent and Max Strus — but they were integral contributors to their finals run.
Well, I was wrong. Not only are the Heat still in the playoff picture. They’re actually better than they were last year, when they needed the play-in tournament just to scratch and claw their way into the postseason. Today, they’re sixth in the Eastern Conference and hold the fourth best odds to win it. And lost in all the Bucks news was a trade Miami made to acquire Terry Rozier from the Charlotte Hornets.
Now, look, on the surface that trade may not be the most exciting news, but just consider the only player Miami had to give up in the deal was Kyle Lowry. A team that was already pretty good just flipped a 37-year-old point guard averaging eight points and four assists per game for a 29-year-old point guard averaging a career-high 23 points and six assists per game. This was a massive upgrade for Miami.
The Heat may not be a team anyone is thinking about right now, but we know what Erik Spoelstra and Jimmy Butler bring when the playoffs come around. And now they’re loading up for another deep run. Miami is a team people should be paying attention to.
One to Watch
(All odds via BetMGM)
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Timberwolves (-11; -600) at Washington Wizards (+440), 7 p.m. ET
After blowing a game against the Charlotte Hornets where Karl-Anthony Towns scored 62 points, the Timberwolves get another game against one of the league’s worst teams, but I’m not so sure they’ll bounce right back. Coach Chris Finch really laid into the team for that last loss, and I need to see how they respond to that before I’m ready to pick them against a double-digit spread. The Wizards are on a four-game skid, but their average margin of defeat is just seven points. So, I’ll take Washington to cover as 11-point home dogs.
Shootaround
That’s it from me y’all. Check back Friday for more Layup Lines.
