Stephen Curry is unhinged, Anthony Davis goes viral

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Welcome back to another edition of Enjoy Basketball!

After a Conference Finals full of blowouts, the NBA Finals have delivered. This series has been amazing. Stephen Curry is showing everyone why he’s one of the greatest to ever lace them up, Boston’s defense has the rest of the Golden State Warriors in a twister, and the series is tied at two games apiece.

Dwyane Wade is even lobbying to expand the NBA's Mount Rushmore...

Meanwhile, the NBA Draft is only 11 days away. The next batch of prospects is anxiously waiting for their names to be called on draft night as teams around the league are hoping to land the next NBA superstar.

And on top of that, this offseason is shaping up to be an active one. With how thin free agency is set to be this summer, the trade market should be interesting to watch.

Since there were no games last night, let’s dive into each of those topics a bit.

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A few questions were thrown into the Enjoyers of Basketball community (make sure to join if you haven’t yet):

1. Which player on each team is the key to winning the NBA Finals?

2. Which NBA Draft prospect is the biggest sleeper?

3. Predict the biggest blockbuster trade of the offseason.

Here were a few responses:

Thank you to those who took the time to respond! Let’s break this down a little bit.

First, it was interesting to see the variety of players that were mentioned as keys to winning it all. Curry was an easy selection. He’s been dominant throughout the course of the Finals, and it seems as though there’s nothing the Celtics can do to slow him down. Even when they stop playing drop coverage (which is an interesting choice when it does happen), he just shoots over them.

Al Horford and Kevon Looney were great choices, too. When Horford is making shots, it completely changes Boston’s offense. If he’s locked in on both ends, he gives the Celtics a serious edge. The same goes for Looney. His rebounding has given Boston fits, as they’ve struggled on the glass all postseason long.

Andrew Wiggins was a very underrated pick, too. His defense has been praised, but not nearly enough. He’s done a magnificent job guarding Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown this series, and he even snagged 16 boards last game. Wiggins has been a quiet hero for the Warriors.

Lastly, Tatum needs to step up. He’s had an ugly series thus far, but if he manages to turn things around, the Celtics would get a much-needed boost. His inside shooting has been horrendous, and Boston desperately needs him to pick things up.

Second, the selections for the top draft sleeper. Tari Eason is a great choice. He’s currently ranked 18th on ESPN’s big board, but he projects to be the type of player that every great team needs. He hustles, he defends well, and he can even shoot the ball a little bit. Every team around the league needs that one player who will simply out-hustle anybody on the opposing team, and while Eason has the potential to be more than that, having that as his floor is a great place to start.

Bryce McGowens projects to be a bucket. He was a scorer in college, and if he can adapt to a lesser role in the NBA than the one he had at Nebraska, he could turn into a nice sparkplug scorer off the bench. 

Wendell Moore is similar to Eason in the sense that every team could use a player like him. He plays solid defense and is an underrated playmaker. That type of wing can find a place in any rotation.

Julian Champagnie has a tougher road to becoming an NBA player, as he’s projected to be a mid-second-round pick. However, if he can improve his three-point efficiency, there should be a place for him in the league.

Lastly, Trevor Keels is a very intriguing pick. He’s still 18 years old and has a ton of room to grow, but he has a ton of upside. Keels is an extremely raw prospect, but if he can become the best version of himself, he could be a solid scorer and top-notch defender at the NBA level.

Finally, let’s briefly go over the three potential trades.

First, Zach LaVine to the Portland Trail Blazers has been thrown around a bit, but with each passing day, it’s looking more and more likely that he’ll be back in Chicago next season.

Second, Donovan Mitchell to the Miami Heat is interesting. If he eventually asks to be traded, this seems like the most likely destination. Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson would have to get used to the Utah weather.

Third, Rudy Gobert to the Toronto Raptors would make them a perennial contender. They’ve already built a strong foundation, and putting Gobert in the middle of it all could bring it all together.

Hornets hire Kenny Atkinson

The Charlotte Hornets have hired Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as their new head coach. Before spending this past season with the Warriors, Atkinson was an assistant with the LA Clippers and the head coach for the Brooklyn Nets.

He’s most well-known for his time in Brooklyn, as he helped the D’Angelo Russell-led Nets snap their postseason drought. Atkinson’s developmental skills are widely praised and he will also aim to bring a defensive identity to a Hornets team that has struggled on that side of the ball.

Anthony Davis goes viral

In a video he did on the Nuke Squad YouTube channel, Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis revealed that he hasn’t “shot a basketball since April 5.” That was the last game he played this past season - a game against the Phoenix Suns. Obviously, Lakers fans were not happy when they heard that.

The story got picked up by almost every major news outlet. With how poorly the Lakers performed this past season, most fans were upset to hear this. In reality, it’s the offseason. Every player takes a break, and it’s also very possible Davis was simply exaggerating a bit. He’ll undoubtedly be ready to rumble at the start of next year, and if he’s not, he’ll have more to worry about than just the fans being on his back.

Blazers, Kings exploring draft trades

According to long-time NBA insider Marc Stein, the Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings are exploring potential trade options with their respective top-10 picks. The Kings will be selecting fourth in the upcoming draft, while the Blazers hold the seventh selection. The Washington Wizards are also considering the option.

Portland and Sacramento are both trying to win now and will look for trades that will help them accomplish that. For the Blazers, that involves building around star point guard Damian Lillard, and for the Kings, that involves surrounding De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis with a quality supporting cast.

Appreciating how far Jaylen Brown has come - Mark Schindler (Basketball News)

Stephen Curry Is Having One Of The Best NBA Finals Performances Of All Time - Shane Young (Forbes)

The Warriors Need More of Andrew Wiggins’s Best to Complete Title Chase - Michael Pina (Sports Illustrated)

What's wrong with Jayson Tatum? How Andrew Wiggins, Warriors have slowed down Celtics' explosive scorer in NBA Finals - Scott Rafferty (Sporting News)

Atlas unleashed: Stephen Curry’s Game 4 masterpiece proves he’s a titan of the game - Joe Viray (Golden State of Mind)

This is a tough one. On the one hand, what occurred in Boston on Friday night was a true display of guts. Stephen Curry looks determined to capture his fourth title, and even when the Celtics clamp down, it doesn’t seem to matter.

On the contrary, the story of the postseason has shown that the Celtics always fight back. They have yet to lose two games in a row and have been a dominant team on the road during these playoffs.

Expect a closely contested game, with a potential 40-piece from Curry, but a Boston victory. (They’re just one Tatum 30-ball away from a win each and every night. He just hasn’t been there.)

Thank you all for the continued support. We hope you’re enjoying the NBA Finals and getting ready for the NBA Draft and offseason. It’s going to be a wild summer.

Make sure to jump in the Twitter Spaces tonight, as we’ve been chatting before every Finals game. Come give us your thoughts and engage with the awesome community that’s being built.

That'll be it for us. Thanks for reading. See y'all next time.

- Jack Simone

Last Trivia Answer: The two players who averaged 40 points or more in the NBA Finals and still lost are Elgin Baylor in 1962 and Rick Barry in 1967. Baylor’s Lakers lost to the Celtics in seven games, while Barry’s Warriors lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in six.

Trivia Question: Tatum is currently shooting 2-for-17 (11.8%) from mid-range in the NBA Finals. Only one player shot worse than that from mid-range (on at least 17 attempts) during the regular season this year. Who was it?