How Papi Le Batard — ‘kind and affable and fraudulent’ — changed sports TV
Christopher Kamrani Apr 1, 2021 31

Fathers, for some inexplicable reason, manage to pull off the art of bullshitting brazenly. And it is absolutely an art. It can be tantalizing, terrifying and, depending on what stage of life you’re in, flat exhausting.

Yet they strive to be our heroes — consciously or not — typically by being the most earnest version of themselves. Gonzalo Le Batard became a cult sports hero — the delightful, comical, sincere version of himself — by introducing to America’s afternoon audience the side of his personality often only seen by his children. He is Papi to the world of sports entertainment, where, for nearly a decade, he was the unanticipated star of ESPN’s highly meta, highly quirky “Highly Questionable” show alongside his son, Dan.

“My father has always been a bit of a ham,” Dan Le Batard told The Athletic. “Throughout childhood, he’d fake answer a phone that wasn’t ringing and have entire conversations. He referred to himself as a version of the Spanish word for fish. Pescado. But he’d call himself pesculo. Half fish. Half asshole. And then breach the sea with his ass in the air.”

Papi’s magnetism has never waned. It can’t. He merely needed a platform for the world to appreciate his humor, his delivery, his timing, his ability to deliver performances in a way that made such a far-fetched concept gain traction, and then work, for nearly 10 years. ESPN was rigorous in its approach of providing sportswriters — or former sportswriters — a platform to offer takes on the current chatter surrounding the sports world. It had a lane and it stayed there for a good long while. The Le Batards, and specifically Papi, shifted everything.

“The very idea of putting him on television, the point was to mock the very thing that we were doing,” said ESPN’s Bomani Jones, who was a regular on the show with Dan and Papi for several years. “He was there to mock the idea that we actually know what we’re talking about. Dan was like, ‘I can put my dad on television and he can do the same thing as the rest of us.’ That was pretty bold to say I can get my dad out here at my seven-figure job to say the same shit.”

As the show that never wanted to take itself seriously grew in popularity, the persona of Papi around the converging world of sports and pop culture swelled. Hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd genuinely went nuts seeing Papi hit the whip. Pat Sajak strangled him during one show. After the Miami Heat won a title with The Big Three, Papi doused himself with champagne. The father-son duo was fun, firmly-out-of-the-box entertainment on a network that was known to be, at least at the time, fairly buttoned-up. Papi often told Dan early on that he expected the show to be canceled within its first six weeks. It was too weird, he told his son, too random. It reminded him of “Seinfeld.”

“A show about nothing with great characters,” Papi told The Athletic.

With the Le Batards, “Highly Questionable” had its sublime personalities. It was eventually headlined by who else but Papi, its amiable breakout star, now 78. It wasn’t a show about nothing, per se. It was about the human connection, co-anchored by a man who fled communism to pursue an existence his family believed he could thrive in 60 years ago now. Fifty years after Papi left Cuba in August of 1961, he was must-see TV on ESPN, his son at his side. The show just needed time to bloom. Papi was always going to help it get there.

Papi was born on Sept. 7, 1943, in Havana. He grew up in La Vibora, which is a borough smack-dab in the center of Cuba’s capital city. It was a quaint neighborhood where he and his school-aged friends played baseball in the streets. He went on to play left field for his high school baseball team.

“He says his nickname was ‘Legs’ because he was a fleet-footed baseball player,” Dan said, “but I believe him to be lying. He is always doing that, making fake nicknames for himself and lying.”

Papi’s father and his brothers were part of a famous orchestra, La Orquesta Hermanos Le Batard, which made that kind of bombastic, big band music that became a hit in Cuba. They loved music, but like Papi, also loved baseball. One of the resounding sports memories he has while back in Cuba is watching Sandy Amoros’ famous catch in left field in Game 7 of the 1955 World Series. The catch helped the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the New York Yankees. Papi was 12. Six years later, his father put him on a plane to New York City. He had an uncle there, whom he stayed with for a year. Papi worked at factories in the Brooklyn area and went to night school to learn English.

Soon after, he went to Fairleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford, N.J. He received a master’s degree in industrial engineering and worked a variety of engineering jobs. He married Lourdes, and in 1968, Dan was born. The Le Batards relocated to Miami, where Papi would commute between Chicago, where his work was based, and Miami every week for a year so his sons could stay in the same area for school. Sports were the avenue where Papi and Dan connected the most. He got the company seats at the Orange Bowl when the Buffalo Bills came to Miami. They would make a point to watch the Games of the Week on TV, back when the family had only three network channels.

“My father did coach all my teams, though,” Dan said. “Football. Soccer. Baseball. My mom ran the concession stand and my father coached all my teams. I missed the baseball all-star team one year by one coach’s vote. His.”

Dan’s younger brother, David, is a renowned artist in the Miami area. Dan said David was the kid who got “kicked out of games as the right fielder for throwing rocks at his center fielder. He was a running back who’d forget the snap count because he was making sure the wind would blow through the ear hole of his helmet with a whistle.” So Papi and Dan, who admittedly wasn’t the best athlete, bonded primarily through sports. It’s where he and his father could always find a way to reach the same wavelength. Years later, when Dan told Papi that he wanted to pursue a career in sportswriting, let’s just say that initially it didn’t go over all that smoothly. Coaching your kid in youth sports is one thing, seeing them chase a flimsy dream in sportswriting? That’s another thing.

“Imagine that you flee communism, make all the sacrifices, drive a shitty 1969 Valiant with a hole in the floorboard and a glove compartment that would open every time we hit a bump just to get your kid a private education and he turns down engineering scholarships because … he wants to write about sports,” said Dan. “I might as well have told him I was going to college to become a heroin addict. He didn’t think there was any money in this and ESPN just paid HIM severance to go away. Joke is on him.”

Over a decade ago, ESPN wanted to find ways to branch out to different target audiences. Among those was the Latinx audience, said ESPN executive producer Erik Rydholm, who helped create hit shows like “Highly Questionable,” “Pardon the Interruption” and “Around the Horn.”

While Dan had his radio show in Southern Florida, he used to have his producers call Papi and ask him for hot takes on the Marlins or Dolphins and fail to tell him he was on live radio.

“Papi would go off on an unhinged rant and it was pure and wonderful,” Rydholm said in an email. “We flew Dan and Papi up to D.C. for a screen test in March before a September (2012) show launch. What we clearly learned over an afternoon of taping was Dan was going to be thoughtful and self-conscious and extremely sweaty and that Papi was already a star.”

At the time, ESPN’s former president John Skipper and senior vice president John Walsh encouraged Rydholm, Dan Le Batard and the production staff to get weird. The show launched in a mid-day slot on ESPN2. The stakes were very low. Jones was eventually given a full-time role to help provide more balance on the show. It took pressure off Papi. He could soar off script more often. The Le Batard duo became a trio, and Papi had a new favorite son.

“The whole concept was to take a risk, develop an audience, and grow to the point where we would hopefully get promoted to ESPN,” Rydholm said. “All of us were placing a modest bet on this thing that was VERY unusual — what I hoped would feel like a combo sports show/reality show/family sitcom.”

That’s what it evolved into. The original set was designed to mimic a 1960s South Florida kitchen, which is where the Le Batards gathered at the table. The man who fled Cuba, who worked in factories around Brooklyn, who commuted across the country every week to ensure stability for his family, was put on ESPN to offer sports insight and, as viewers soon learned, the sort of genuine humor only he could provide. Asked if he leaned on any of his favorite TV characters over the years to prepare for his surprising starring role, Papi said: “I enjoyed ‘Columbo’ with Peter Falk. Great show about a detective that pretended to be dumb, but was smart like a fox.”

The show is prerecorded, which means it is more heavily produced than other shows at ESPN. But that never stopped Papi from improvising. Some Papisms were scripted, but there were times when Jones recalls Papi went rogue. That spawned some YouTube-worthy moments. Like the time he asked former Dallas Cowboys defensive back Orlando Scandrick if he’d heard the new Kodak Black. There were some hits in which Papi nailed, like the verse from “Freeway” on Jay-Z’s “What We Do.”

“No one can remember how they came up with the idea to do the rap verses,” Jones said. “To this day, I wonder how that came to be. That was the thing. He got off on the reinforcement that he knows. It would light him up.”

Papi wore gas masks, panda masks, he rapped, he danced, he swore, he flipped birds, he gave hugs. Like a core of friends just shooting the shit, it became a show where you were proud to pick up on the inside jokes. It felt consistent in that way, which is difficult to pull off on a sports show. He conjured up personas for the show, including a bookie named “Juanito.”

“Juanito was a character of my imagination,” Papi said. “One day we were stuck in a segment and I just took the banana phone and I just started talking to Juanito and we made him our bookie. Just a crazy idea that stayed with the show. I used to do things like that when my sons were kids.”

And he was rarely, if ever, starstruck. It was typically the opposite.

“Lil’ Wayne came in one time, awed to meet him, smelling like weed,” Dan said. “He hid behind my leg when Papi appeared, peering out like a kid would with one of the characters at Disney. He had $100,000 worth of diamonds smiling in his mouth. After Lil’ Wayne left, my father, who had been very kind and affable and fraudulent, looks at me and says, ‘who the fuck was that?’”

The authenticity of Papi ultimately led to so many of his victims forgetting what was destined to happen. He made everyone happier, more comfortable, and included, like they were part of the Le Batard family. On April 20, 2016, Papi changed the show forever. He ghosted ESPN’s Pablo Torre with a handshake offer. From then on, everyone was on notice. But so many managed to forget.



There is a YouTube compilation nearly 19 minutes long of his various fake-outs over the years. It started with fellow co-hosts like Torre, Jones, Jon Weiner (Stugotz), Israel Gutierrez, Mina Kimes, Katie Nolan, Sarah Spain and Jemele Hill. It continued on. Hall-of-Famers fell for it. Pedro Martinez and Ed Reed and Clyde Drexler. Ric Flair and Trick Daddy and Hank Azaria. The list is long.

“I have to be aware at all times,” Papi said. “People in the street, especially at Heat games, try to get me all the time.”

Papi’s rapport with Kimes, who joined the show more regularly in 2016, was apparent early on. Just so happens that she fell for it so often.

“The thing that people don’t see around the times he got me is how bad he felt after. Every time. He felt awful,” Kimes said. “The thing that you should know is that none of it was his idea. The individual times in which he would do it, they would never do it. They were at the prompting of producers.”

Before becoming part of “Highly Questionable,” Kimes, now an NFL analyst at ESPN, was relatively inexperienced on TV. Papi was always there to lift her up.

“I was really hard on myself and Papi was always very patient with me, but also recognized in the way that dads and grandpas do, when I needed support from him,” she said. “He would tell me I did a good job or blamed himself often. I think that was invaluable to me at the beginning of my career in television.”

Papi’s natural charisma is an untapped well. Kimes said it made laughing that much harder even better. Everyone else agrees.

“I want to be clear: all credit to Papi. Quincy Jones says that as a producer, ‘you can control only so much — you have to leave room for the magic,’” Rydholm said. “Papi brought magic to this show.”

The Le Batards said an emotional goodbye to ESPN on Jan. 4. Later that month, Dan Le Batard and Skipper announced together they were launching Meadowlark Media, a new content venture with an initial focus on sports. Last week, Michael Schur, co-creator of “Parks & Recreation,” and Hill were announced as new creative advisors at Meadowlark.

The Le Batard family moving on ended one of the most creative and unique shows on television. As Jones said, in an industry that tries to take itself as seriously as possible all the time, Papi and Dan — and the eventual slew of co-hosts — changed the paradigm for future shows.

“He’s one of one,” Jones said of Papi. “You’re not ever going to have anyone else who can do this, because in order for this to happen, the big combination of factors you need is: You need Dan to be crazy enough to even think of this in the first place and you need Erik to be willing to actually implement it. Those are the things you need to happen. Nobody else is going to try this.”

Kimes said the impact of that era of TV at ESPN helped herself, and other colleagues, adapt to life on camera. The show was not sterile, and in order to reach broader audiences and attract different types of viewership, it needed to exist. The world of sports can be fun.

“Among the rest of us, it really does just feel like hanging out with the rest of your friends — just in front of a camera,” Kimes said. “I think people are really drawn to that and I think it’s really spread across ESPN in a way that’s really special.”

The lasting influential dynamic of father and son remains atop an important list for the network, but also the family. Papi said over the years they received many letters from parents indicating that the show made them aware of the importance of fatherhood. Papi also represented change in a field dominated by White American men. Asked if he takes pride in being a trailblazer on TV, he deflected the compliment and replied, “I’m so glad the show lasted a lot longer than we expected and people were amused with it. I feel the viewers were able to learn who the real Dan was. Not pride as much as gratitude to be able to spend all that time with my son.”

In that farewell video, Papi said his experience on “Highly Questionable” will be something that he will treasure until the day he dies. Lastly, he teased the show that the next day would still be going on in their absence, with “his favorite son, Bomani Jones. I’ll see you never.”

He was wearing a tuxedo T-shirt.

“They say most comedy comes from pain, a need to escape, and I suppose I’ll never understand the size of his pain growing up in communism and fleeing it,” Dan said. “But my father has always been able to turn up the volume on bombastic and be loud, cartoonishly over the top. Again, though, most of his comedy is accidental. Like the time my mother was in the stands of a game I was playing in as a child, talking to the other wives about how coaching had made Papi so much more relaxed and calm, and then looked up to see him rolling around on the floor fighting the opposing coach, that damn Wayne Usina.”

At 78, Papi Le Batard is not ignoring retired life. He’s in charge now.

As Dan wrote in an email: “My father has come out of retirement in a funny video on our twitter feed…..he did so with such fanfare that you are excused for having missed it…..many people did…..too many people did…..ageism…..my father has UNRETIRED triumphantly to be the head of the org chart at all of Meadowlark Media….I report to him…..Everyone does…..We are not using him for content at the moment, as he is an old man and resting, but we expect to ride his ass to great glory and profit over the summer……….ESPN rented his accent for a few years……But now he is the cartoon voice shouting curses from atop Meadowlark Media and shooting double middle fingers at the bums and critics and Charles Barkley.”

(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic)

This post was edited by Crunkt on Apr 1 2021 06:41pm

theres a bunch of tables in the article soz cant get those



Lions five-round mock draft: Can Detroit still find value in trading down?
By Chris Burke and Nick Baumgardner Mar 29, 2021 67

The Lions have dipped a couple of toes into free agency, but GM Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell have been promising since the outset that this roster would be built through the draft. What can Holmes get done from April 29-May 1, currently armed with a top-10 slot and six picks in all?

Our latest attempt to plot it out, with the help of The Draft Network mock draft machine …
No. 7 overall

Chris Burke: So, cards on the table, we had a nice little Lions mock all wrapped up with a good class and a trade down and all that … and then all hell broke loose in the NFL on Friday afternoon. Now, the 49ers are picking at 3, the Dolphins are at 6 and it’s kind of wide open behind that.

I’ve paused this simulation at pick No. 4 — everything has gone as expected thus far, with Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance off the board.

Do you have any interest in trying to swap spots with the Falcons for Justin Fields or Mac Jones?

Nick Baumgardner: Probably not for what it’s going to cost, no. San Francisco wound up trading three first-round picks for No. 3. I would think No. 4 is going to cost a bunch and I’m not sure if I like Fields enough to part with that. The Lions could disagree, though, and I think people should at least be prepared for that possibility. But that’s where this whole draft starts now for Detroit.

It went from: “Is there a quarterback in this draft that you love?” To “do you love Justin Fields or Mac Jones?” It’s not impossible that Fields slips. It just doesn’t seem like it’s happening.

Am I wrong about Jones? Or the rest of this?

Burke: I don’t think so. If you’re in Holmes’ position and are considering this aggressive of a move, it has to be for the guy that you want. Not whichever guy is left. The Lions do have the 2022 and ‘23 draft capital to climb a few spots, but they’re better off still checking around if anyone wants to come up to the No. 7.

Just let these next three picks play out and reassess?

Baumgardner: Sounds like a plan to me. I do wonder if this early run causes further panic, and what that might do to the Lions’ trade market. Part of me thinks things could get weird and they could wind up having a really valuable pick, and part of me wonders if it’ll fall flat and they’ll just have to stick and take a guy. We’ll see.

Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
49ers: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
Falcons: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
Bengals: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
Dolphins: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU

Burke: OK, well, Fields and Jones are both still here. Is that realistic after what just went down with the 49ers and Dolphins? I don’t know, but it’s giving us some trade options — Carolina, Denver and New England all “called” with offers via the ol’ Mock Draft Machine. Should we still try to trade back or just play this out, assuming that the actual draft will be a step ahead of where the simulation is right now?

Baumgardner: I do think a scenario exists where the Falcons take Sewell or decide Kyle Pitts is too talented to pass on. More likely they trade the pick and it’s Fields. Which would, in theory, push Sewell/Pitts to Cincy and give Miami/Detroit its choice of the remaining skill guys. So, if the Lions stay at 7, the board probably doesn’t change too much.

But for our purpose today: Yeah, let’s see what these offers are. I don’t know how lucrative it gets if only Jones is available, but who knows.

Trade offers

Carolina: Nos. 8 and 133
Denver: Nos. 9 and 114, plus a 2022 sixth
New England: Nos. 15 and 46, plus a 2022 fifth

Burke: Anything look worthwhile there?

Baumgardner: I actually like the New England offer and think the Patriots could be a team likely to make a realistic offer for Jones if he’s the guy still on the board for Detroit at No. 7. So that’s my vote. Not sure we’ve run through that scenario yet either.

Burke: Potentially, that would take us from the Tier 1 prospects into that next group, but the extra second-round pick in this draft is huge. Let’s see how it goes …
No. 15 overall

Burke: Our new best-available board, at No. 15:

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is extremely intriguing in this class as a matchup-busting linebacker. But offensive tackle and edge seem to be strengths here.

Baumgardner: OK, so now’s as good a time as any to explain that the mock we just tore up (believe that’s No. 2 this year, folks) featured a real error by us in the tackle department. We waited too long and wound up with nothing. So, if that winds up as a priority — it’s another position where a run could happen. Important to remember.

Burke: The Lions just had Dave Sears, their director of college scouting, at Virginia Tech’s pro day, too. Christian Darrisaw on the right side would give Detroit anchors at both tackle spots, plus allow Tyrell Crosby to slide back into a swing role. I don’t hate that idea.

As mentioned, though, I do think Owusu-Koramoah is an option here. And, unless you’re 100 percent sold that Julian Okwara and Austin Bryant are going to be stars or Charles Harris is about to revive his career, landing Kwity Paye or Azeez Ojulari at 15 would be a huge deal.

Baumgardner: Agree that it’s definitely tackle or edge here. I also think I might like some of the later-round edge prospects more than I like the tackles that could hang around a bit longer. And, as you said, Darrisaw would be just fine as a Day 1 right tackle in Detroit. Your offensive line would be taken care of; that would help Jared Goff, D’Andre Swift and any other receivers you add to this situation.

Darrisaw gets my vote. Unless you can talk me into not being able to live without one of those edge guys.

Burke: Here’s my only counterargument: You mentioned how we did this once and passed on Day 2 OT talent. We do not have an extra pick in Rounds 2 and 3 to address that position. Are we better off taking Ojulari or Paye here, then dipping into that tackle depth next?

Baumgardner: I’d vote Paye over Ojulari, but I’d still put Darrisaw just a shade in front of Paye as a player. It’d be really close. But you have a point: Is Paye that much better than the edge guys we’d get later and/or is Darrisaw that much better than the R2 tackles?

Burke: I don’t know! If you think Darrisaw is the best player there, though, let’s go that route. It’s very close for me.

The pick: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
No. 41 overall

Baumgardner: Stressful first round!

Burke: We’ll try to pick up the pace from here. The board at pick 41:

I know people weren’t privy to the conversation in our now-deleted mock, but this is basically the same board and we took Collins (rather confidently). He’d make the linebacking corps more competitive; he’d help with the pass rush; he’s physical enough to hold up vs. the run. If Aaron Glenn wants more multiple looks or the Bill Parcells-style 3-4, they need this type of player.

Plus, thanks to our trade, we’re picking again in five spots.

Baumgardner: Yeah, this would be ideal. We both agreed last time Collins was basically first-round value down here. I’d add his coverage skills alone would improve the Lions’ defense pretty quickly. And we also talked in the deleted mock about how this draft should be viewed through the lens of long-term needs over pretty much anything else.

The Lions happen to need exactly what Collins gives them now and down the road. So this is an easy one for me.

Burke: See, that was faster.

The pick: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa
No. 46 overall (via New England)

Burke: Same board as above, minus Jayson Oweh, Dillon Radunz, Gregory Rousseau and Landon Dickerson. Plenty to like.

I’ll also mention that the available receivers right now include: Rondale Moore, Amari Rodgers, Nico Collins, D’Wayne Eskridge, Dyami Brown and Tylan Wallace. We basically traded out of the top-WR range in Round 1, but that still needs to be a positional priority in this draft. Which direction are you leaning here?

Baumgardner: Collins and Eskridge both had great pro days recently, but Moore was basically a real-life version of an X-Men character. Ridiculous athlete. So, for me, it’s down to taking a chance on an athlete like Moore — who, while small at only 5-7, 180, ran a 4.29 40 with a 42 1/2-inch vertical — or maybe going with Texas’ edge prospect Joseph Ossai.

Oweh or Miami’s Rousseau might have been better — Oweh’s pro day numbers (unofficial, but still) were nuts.

Burke: I just found another option a few spots down the list that I’ll toss into consideration — UCF safety Richie Grant. Moore’s size and injury history scare me, but he could change an entire offense if he stays healthy. I like Collins and Amari Rodgers, too.

Ugh, I hate this. I can’t even make fake picks, I don’t know how GMs make real ones. Do we roll the dice on Moore and hope for the best?

Baumgardner: I’ve got the guy to get us out of this: Washington’s Levi Onwuzurike. Would be a guy the Lions could use up front, probably not a nose. But a really nice player who is impressive against the run and the pass. Good value, too, probably. So I vote edge, Onwuzurike or a receiver here.

Burke: That’s a great idea. We can focus on receivers in Round 3. Onwuzurike can be a starter not far down the line, and he’d be perfect to drop in behind Michael Brockers.

The pick: Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington
No. 72 overall

Burke: The board hasn’t been updated to account for pro days, so I’m just going to ignore that Nico Collins is even available here. As luck would have it, though, we can address the receiver position at this pick.

Baumgardner: The weird thing here: We took Dyami Brown around here in the last draft and I remember feeling like we were going to regret it — or that we were maybe being a little selfish with the skill-position stuff. But in this case, we’ve been super responsible. We’ve addressed stuff the Lions need for 2021 and beyond.

It’s wide receiver time. Brown would be a great addition here as a good athlete who can get over the top and probably has his best football well ahead of him.

Burke: Absolutely. I could be talked into Eskridge (because he’s amazing), but there will be better opportunities to find a slot later than to find a potential top-two outside guy. That’s a terrific need/value match.

The pick: Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina
No. 101 overall (via L.A. Rams)

Burke: This is the pick Detroit acquired this year, via L.A., in the Matthew Stafford trade. Our choices:

Edge defenders Cameron Sample and Patrick Jones are just off the board, as well. Ditto safety Tariq Thompson. I like the cornerback options in front of us — that’s still a spot where Detroit needs to find bodies.

Anything else jump out?

Baumgardner: Syracuse safety Andre Cisco feels like he’d be a pretty good value pick down here. But safety’s also another one of those things that feels like it needs to be addressed at some point. Cisco has the tools to be a box safety. He played some of both in college and can really, really run. You’re faster immediately on defense with this guy on the field.

As much as it pains me to pass on all these guards … I like Cisco.

Burke: Yeah, I like that call. Paulson Adebo probably would be my vote otherwise, but Cisco would give Detroit a much-needed playmaker in the deep third.

The pick: Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse
No. 112 overall

Burke: The Lions have just two picks over Rounds 4-7 right now, but these last two spots — just before the close of Day 2 and just after Day 3 begins — are both prime trade-down possibilities.

A lot of those names from pick 101 are still available. But is there a specific position group you’d like to see here, in terms of what’s left?

Baumgardner: Corner was something on the mind, given how that’s another area where the Lions need immediate and long-term help.

Burke: OK, so, here’s what The Draft Network board shows …

… but this is also where we took Central Arkansas corner Robert Rochell (ranked No. 219) last time we attempted this. Do you still like him? What about Keith Taylor or local product Ambry Thomas?

Baumgardner: Thomas ran a reported sub-4.4 40-yard dash at his pro day this week and he’d compete his butt off. Though I’d vote either Rochell or Syracuse corner Trill Williams. A big dude who is a really good athlete (could be a safety or a corner). Both guys would be fun to watch as developmental corners with decent ceilings.

Burke: I like Rochell’s upside a lot. He just had a monster pro day — 4.39 40, 6.8 three-cone. I’m not entirely sure how the Lions are going to develop such a young secondary, but Rochell checks off just about every size or athleticism box. At this point, I think it’d be worthwhile.

Baumgardner: Absolutely. Another long corner, strong player and a great athlete who can develop in the secondary and grow together with the rest of a young core. That’s important here: Get a young group of DBs together here and let them have a chance to grow together. They might surprise you.

The pick: Robert Rochell, CB, Central Arkansas
No. 153 overall

Burke: Last stop. Update:

On top of those names, I’ll toss a few more receivers at ya: Shi Smith, Josh Imatorbhebhe, Cornell Powell, Jaelon Darden, Cade Johnson and Ihmir Smith-Marsette. Still a bunch of dudes available at that position.

Baumgardner: That group of receivers is fun as hell. Smith had a really good pro day recently after putting together a terrific Senior Bowl. I think we agree he’ll be a terror. We’ve talked about how very few people in the Big Ten had any real plan for Imatorbhebhe — who jumped through the roof a few weeks ago.

For me it’d be an edge in either Rashad Weaver or Chauncey Golston, or one of those receivers.

Burke: Another tough one. Loading up on the front seven with Collins, Onwuzurike and Weaver would lay a nice foundation. But the other part of me is looking at that Lions receiver depth chart — both for what it is now and what it needs into 2022 — and can’t ignore what Smith or Darden could do from the slot. I mentioned earlier how much I love D’Wayne Eskridge. Darden is giving you a similar game-breaking threat, two rounds later.

Can I talk you into another receiver?

Baumgardner: Not a hard sales job here. Darden is electric. And would be damn good value down here. As would a few of those other receivers. Darden has that Swift-like ability to change direction without losing gas — great speed. You could move him around. Great pick.

Book it.

The pick: Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas
Lions Mock Draft
1

15

Christian Darrisaw

OT

Virginia Tech
2

41

Zaven Collins

LB

Tulsa
2

46

Levi Onwuzurike

DT

Washington
3

72

Dyami Brown

WR

North Carolina
3

101

Andre Cisco

S

Syracuse
4

112

Robert Rochell

CB

Central Arkansas
5

153

Jaelon Darden

WR

North Texas
Final thoughts

Burke: All told, we made seven picks — three on offense, four on defense — plus picked up an extra 2022 Day 3 selection. What we didn’t do was land a quarterback or one of the truly elite receiving options up top. Are you satisfied with the results?

Baumgardner: Yeah, I think the Lions could go a number of different ways if they can pull off a trade-down situation toward the middle of the first. So, as we displayed up there, tougher call once you get away from some of those elite playmakers (Chase, Pitts, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith). And maybe that winds up being too much to pass up on, right? If the board shakes out the way it feels like it’s trending, the Lions are going to have at least one of those elite playmakers still on the board at No. 7.

I like what we found, though, because I think we made sure to not only focus on guys who were ready to roll with the early picks — but we found a bunch of players who check that box at positions where the Lions are super-thin right now.

Burke: I also don’t have any major complaints, although I’m still tossing around in my mind whether Darrisaw + Onwuzurike + a 2022 fifth is a better outcome than getting Waddle, Smith or Pitts at No. 7. If Pitts is a once-in-a-decade talent who completely changes a team’s offensive playbook or Waddle and Smith are as dominant as they were in college, would we regret that?

We made the roster better, no question. We also set ourselves up for the “well, they could’ve had this guy” talk that has haunted this franchise a bit in recent years.

Baumgardner: We did make the roster better and, ultimately, that should be the bottom-line requirement at every stop here for Holmes. If the Lions wind up wanting to reach for a developmental option late in the draft after loading up on extra picks and checking off needs — then I think, right now, you live with the risk.

(Top photo Zaven Collins: Brett Rojo / USA Today)

thanks bruh

What we’re hearing about the Lions ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft
By Nick Baumgardner and Chris Burke Apr 29, 2021 46

Because there is still so much uncertainty swirling around picks 3-6 in this year’s NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions themselves might not know their exact play until around 9 p.m. ET Thursday, when they go on the clock.

Nevertheless, we’ve spent the past three months trying to sort out how things might go down. And, with draft day now here, we’re emptying our notebooks to get you as much information as we can ahead of Round 1. What trades might surface for GM Brad Holmes? What have we learned about the offense and defense that might hint at the Lions’ draft plans?

Here’s what we’re hearing:
Trade talk

• Multiple sources have told (multiple people at) The Athletic that the Lions would like to trade back from No. 7 and have made that desire known. That’s not exactly a state secret and, word of warning, we heard the same things last year before Bob Quinn said he couldn’t find any reasonable offers for the third pick.

It remains to be seen how much anyone can trust the leaks out of Allen Park — or from people familiar with what’s happening at Allen Park — under Holmes’ leadership. This group should be more effective than the isolated former regime at working the rumor mill.

But this isn’t a quick-fix situation for the Lions, nor has there been any indication they’re approaching it as such. They want to build this foundation through the draft — a multiyear process that will require far more than the six selections they have in ‘21. So, a trade back fits with everything Holmes has done thus far.

Oh, and for what it’s worth, there has been absolutely no buzz about Detroit looking to move up.

• In his Broncos mock this week, Nick Kosmider wrote that he gets “the sense the Broncos would be willing to make a more modest move to No. 6 or No. 7 to draft their quarterback.” His proposal there had Denver sending Nos. 9, 71 and a 2022 second-rounder to Detroit.

If there isn’t a 2022 first on the table from someone, Holmes probably would take that in a heartbeat. Even if there was a 2022 first, he might consider it because of how much value it could bring back over this draft and the next one.

Denver moving to No. 7 would put at least four QBs within the top eight picks. Say Kyle Pitts, Ja’Marr Chase and Penei Sewell also come off the board in that range. At No. 9, the Lions still could have a shot at DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle (maybe both), Rashawn Slater, Micah Parsons, etc.
The Lions might want Penei Sewell for themselves, but could he convince a team to trade up? (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

Watch The Athletic Football Show’s live Round 1 podcast here, starting at 9:30 p.m. EST

• The Chargers are a potential partner at No. 13 if Penei Sewell is on the board. The former Oregon standout left tackle — the top offensive lineman in the draft, per The Athletic’s Dane Brugler — was Justin Herbert’s blind side protector in 2019.

“There might be another player that a team may covet that’s not a quarterback,” Holmes said last Friday, “but I can’t really speak for the other teams.”

The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, our Chargers beat writer, has noted this as a real possibility on multiple occasions — reporting that GM Tom Telesco could move up for Sewell rather than wait for another tackle. Likely? Maybe not. Possible? Yes.

• Elsewhere, New England should still be considered a possible trade partner for the Lions at No. 15 — so long as Trey Lance (or, perhaps, Justin Fields) is still on the board at No. 7. The Athletic’s Jeff Howe mocked a New England trade with Detroit (the Lions get No. 15, No. 120 and a 2022 first-rounder) on Monday.

If Lance or Fields is on the board at No. 7, the Lions will have options. But if Sewell is also on the board at No. 7, those options could increase. At least right now, this doesn’t feel like a very dry market for Detroit. If it holds and the board breaks right, as was the case with the Matthew Stafford trade, Holmes could be looking at a nice return.

• There are other ways to add picks this week, though. The Lions still have a really valuable pick near the top of the second round at No. 41. Don’t sleep on the possibility of Holmes finding a way to move back in the second for an extra pick in this draft, perhaps with a contender looking to make a move for someone with a first-round grade who slipped through the top 32.

• On “The Rich Eisen Show” last week, Eisen asked Lions coach Dan Campbell to break down a scenario in which Smith, Waddle and Parsons were the top options available at No. 7. Campbell responded, “I feel like when you’re picking at No. 7, whoever that player is needs to check every box, in my opinion. And I think Brad feels the same way. Top to bottom. You’re talking everything from the intangibles to is he a prototype, how does he look, how does he run, what’s his production — everything across the board. All three of those players are, I believe, worthy in that range. … I would be happy with any of those guys.”

How many prospects “check every box,” though? Even with those names listed, one could read in between the lines and question how eager Detroit actually would be at No. 7. Smith is far from a “prototype” at wide receiver; Waddle isn’t really either, unless we’re talking about the slot. Did Parsons answer enough questions to receive full clearance on his “intangibles”?

In other words: How deep does the Lions’ top tier run? If it’s 10 or 12 deep, that would make it easier to trade down. The last thing Holmes wants to do is deal his way into risky, second-tier projects.
If the 49ers take Mac Jones at No. 3, the Lions might wind up with a decision to make on Justin Fields. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
On the offense

• The quarterback conversation (maybe the whole draft) starts with what Holmes and Campbell think about Fields, Lance and Mac Jones. It’s possible one or two of those quarterbacks remains on the board at No. 7.

That’s all good news for any of Detroit’s trade desires. But if one is their ideal candidate at QB, they have to take him. Holmes and Campbell have both maintained (post-Jared Goff trade) that any QB selection here would have to be made for a no-doubt fit in every area: arm, athleticism, production, IQ, leadership, etc. No questions.

The Lions did their homework, as promised. Holmes and Campbell attended Zach Wilson’s pro day together. They did the same with Lance’s first pro day in North Dakota. Holmes and special assistant Chris Spielman were both at Fields’ first pro day and the team had representatives at his second workout.

Quarterback doesn’t feel like the most likely scenario at No. 7 for the Lions, for a bunch of reasons. But if that homework produced the right draft evaluation on one of those three, it’s possible.

• The Lions believe newly signed wide receivers Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman can check a few boxes in Anthony Lynn’s offense. They’re both long enough to be X-receivers outside, though based on conversations with personnel people this offseason, the Lions think both can move around within Lynn’s scheme. Both have great top-end speed, both are willing blockers (really important).

The Lions’ preference is that every WR who takes the field is a willing blocker. Like most NFL offenses, Lynn’s works best when his skill personnel isn’t predictable. If a team has three WRs who can run and aren’t afraid to get physical, it can keep people off-balance a bit. If the Lions can find a slot receiver who is strong enough (physically and mentally) to handle being used as a piece in the run game, that might be the move at some point in this draft.

Clemson WR Amari Rodgers, for example, is built like a running back and plays with the type of physical intensity that would allow Lynn to use him in the run game (as a runner via motion, or as a blocker) while also having the ability to cut him loose as a dynamic pass catcher in space. Western Michigan’s D’Wayne Eskridge is another player like this. North Carolina’s Dyami Brown could be a more advanced version of this, as a player perhaps more likely to check all those boxes while still being able to win out wide.

As far as the Lions taking a wide receiver at No. 7? Based on Campbell’s prerequisites mentioned above, LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase is the closest WR to checking all those boxes. Waddle would be second. There will be WR value later in this draft, though, and Holmes has noted how quickly younger receivers are adapting to the modern NFL.

Remember: This is a rebuild. We don’t know who the Lions’ long-term answer is at QB1. They don’t have to find WR1 first.

• The Lions are in the market for a right tackle and, perhaps in time, another guard. What does that mean, exactly? Start with Lynn’s run game. With the Bills and Chargers, Lynn embraced both zone and gap principles (he’ll run both in Detroit, too) while trying to make sure he’s not tipping his hand with personnel.

He’s also, historically, never been afraid to run the ball wide — sometimes through standard methods, sometimes creatively. Right tackles must be able to move people. They cannot be “just a guy” in the run game, especially in Lynn’s system. Additionally, they must be able to move themselves — as we’ve established the Lions are likely going to test the edge with this system.



The good news for Detroit? This draft has some of those. The not-as-good-news? They won’t be around forever. The odds of Sewell falling to No. 7 seem better today than they did six months ago. In terms of an athletic profile, Sewell (and Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater) are what the Lions are looking for in a right tackle within Lynn’s system. Sewell can also play guard (Slater, too).

If the Lions are able to trade down, Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw or Oklahoma State’s Teven Jenkins would qualify. There are also options at the top of the second round, but waiting beyond someone like Northern Iowa’s Spencer Brown in either the third or fourth might be problematic. The Lions need everything on defense. But OL is the closest position group to “complete” on this roster.

Do not forget either when the draft begins.

• The Lions found a complement for D’Andre Swift in free agent Jamaal Williams, which likely makes RB less of an immediate draft priority. If Holmes adds picks, though, the Lions could still consider drafting another RB.

Kerryon Johnson will likely get a chance to show the new Lions staff his knee is healthy and he’s getting back closer to the guy we saw during the first half of his 2018 rookie year. Though, at this point, a chance is about all he can count on.

The Lions, per conversations with those who would know, view Williams as a runner with a physical component capable of properly complementing Swift — who will continue to add strength to his game, but has already shown an ability to be electric in space when healthy. The Lions’ new staff fell in love with Williams’ versatility and, like Swift, he’ll shoulder a heavy portion of the load in the downhill game, the pass game and on third down. Detroit does, however, want a better situation for RB3. If Johnson can show more speed and explosion, maybe it’ll be him.

If not, the Lions could look to add more via free agency, or they could ID a younger player in the draft they like. What type of back best fits Lynn’s preference for what the Lions need right now? Louisiana’s Elijah Mitchell was listed at 5-11, 218 in college (he came in at 201 at his pro day) and is a good, decisive runner (4.3 speed) who should be available late. Michigan’s Chris Evans would be another interesting candidate for this role as an athlete with burst, wiggle and IQ to be a factor in protection. Both have reliable hands.
With a reset needed at linebacker, the Lions could target Micah Parsons. (Jesse Johnson / USA Today)
On the defense

• A quick teaser for you: We have a couple of things coming post-draft with more insight into what the Lions’ new defense might look like. But an obvious starting point is that the needs at linebacker are going to be almost a complete 180 from the Matt Patricia era. Patricia and Quinn wanted physical, downhill defenders who could set an edge or take on guards/centers heads-up in a gap.

There still will be a place for some of that physicality, but the priority is going to be on versatile linebackers who can play more of a free-flowing game on the second level. That’s what new defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn saw in action with the Saints — three-down standout Demario Davis is the prototype there — and it’s why Alex Anzalone is now a Lion.

Jamie Collins certainly could fit into that plan. “He really gives us a guy that can do a little bit of everything,” Campbell said of Collins last month. “I mean, he can cover, he can rush, he can play in the stack, he can be a green dot making all the calls.”

Were the season to begin tomorrow, Anzalone and Collins would be the starting linebackers inside, behind a four-man front.

• What does that mean for the draft plans? Well, above all — as has been the speculation for most of the pre-draft process — it should keep linebacker on the Round 1 board. Both NBC Sports’ Peter King and The MMQB’s Albert Breer suggested Monday that Spielman’s influence could push Detroit toward Parsons.

Perhaps, but Campbell and Glenn also will want to find a long-term “green dot” guy — the defensive on-field play caller, who wears a green dot on his helmet to signify a wireless headset. Anzalone is on a one-year deal; Collins, while scheme-versatile, already is into his 30s and could be a cap casualty next offseason.

Who’s the next guy? You might remember this quote from a previous post, but this is what Campbell told The Athletic shortly after his hire, when asked if the Lions had to draft a QB this year: “Let’s build this thing properly, let’s get roots in the ground first. … Let’s get some help on the D-line. Let’s get us a linebacker. How do we build this core foundation of guys that we know are our guys and in four years we’re going to be paying to stay with us? … You build this thing properly and more are drawn to stay.”

Campbell referenced Luke Kuechly, Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs — all linebackers — as examples. Maybe those are just the first three names that came to mind; maybe finding a dominant ‘backer is among Campbell’s strongest wishes right now.

• It will be interesting to watch how all these little battles of team needs vs. Holmes’ draft philosophy unfolds. Linebacker, like safety, is a position on which the Rams — with Les Snead as GM and Holmes as director of college scouting — did not spend heavy draft capital. The Rams’ most productive off-ball guys last year were Micah Kiser (Round 5 in 2018) and Troy Reeder (undrafted in 2019).

With that in mind, during our final mock-draft efforts of the month, we had names like Chazz Surratt (Round 3) and Dylan Moses (Round 5) as reasonable possibilities. The Lions don’t have to spend on Parsons or Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah or Zaven Collins, but they do need to address this position somehow.

• Up front, expect to see more one-gap alignments from Detroit, with some two-gap principles built into the run defense — e.g., slants that could wipe out multiple blockers and keep the linebackers free. (Trey Flowers could be very effective, so long as the Lions are tied to his contract.)

Inside, the Lions need more big bodies who can get off the snap and get inside of their blocks. Keep an eye on the agility and explosion numbers here — short-shuttle, three-cone, broad jump. We don’t usually attach the importance of a good three-cone time to interior D-linemen, but across both the Rams and Saints drafts, guys have popped up with good times relative to their position (sub-7.5 seconds; Michael Brockers, in 2012, clocked a 7.46). Quickness is going to be a key.

• The Quinton Dunbar signing was a good hint at what the Lions might target among the cornerbacks. Detroit’s coaching staff is very excited by his size/speed profile: He’s long and physical enough to play up on receivers, but he also can turn and run. The Saints played more two-man (split safeties deep, man coverage underneath) than any team in the NFL last season, per ESPN’s Matt Bowen. Based on early conversations, it sounds as if that approach will carry over to Detroit, meaning this secondary needs outside DBs willing to be aggressive.

Holmes doesn’t necessarily need to box himself in here — Glenn will show a lot of different looks, man and zone. If you’re looking for clues on the type of corner Holmes might consider this year, however, study up on Dunbar.

• An addendum on that topic: Any DB coming in has to be a willing and able tackler. No wiggle room there. Dunbar, Corn Elder and Dean Marlowe all check off that box. It’s also a big part of why the new regime is so hopeful about Jeff Okudah and Amari Oruwariye.

Having steady contributors there — defensive backs who can wrap up on the edge — is part of what allows a defense to get by with only two linebackers on the field. It’s that desire for physical DBs that could push Detroit toward a safety/linebacker hybrid, like Hamsah Nasirildeen or Divine Deablo.

• More on the safeties …

The aforementioned potential starting LB tandem of Anzalone-Collins would put Detroit into nickel/dime defenses quite a bit. Depending on the offensive personnel the Lions are facing, then, a third corner (Elder) or third safety (???) will be on the field.

The Holmes-Snead combo has shown a knack for uncovering value at safety (see: Jordan Fuller last year and John Johnson III in 2017). Neither of those players is all that big or fast, but they offered versatility, an understanding of coverages and a willingness to step into the box. When Holmes talks about wanting to find “football players” over just selecting the guys who test well, this might be the prime spot he’s referencing.

• We haven’t forgotten about edge defenders. Still a need, too! With the resources committed to Romeo Okwara and Flowers, though, and with Julian Okwara and Austin Bryant on board, the Lions might be able to narrow their focus more than at other positions. And this front office has seen the importance of having an edge rusher with freaky athleticism — Trey Hendrickson in New Orleans; Leonard Floyd and (a much cheaper) Samson Ebukam in L.A.

If Detroit does trade back into the mid- or late teens, don’t be stunned if Holmes shifts his attention toward that group: Kwity Paye, Azeez Ojulari, Jaelen Phillips, Jayson Oweh, etc. It’s not the likeliest outcome, by any means, but there will be a run on edge defenders starting somewhere in that 15-20 range.

u da real mvp

bump

Group: Member
Posts: 51,811
Joined: Oct 23 2007
Gold: Locked
Guild: Transcend

The Bucks are going to the NBA Finals. Questions and doubts have been answered, but the job isn’t done yet
Eric Nehm Jul 4, 2021 94

ATLANTA — For the last three seasons, multiple variations of a single question lingered around the Milwaukee Bucks.

Are the Bucks around Giannis Antetokounmpo good enough?

The question manifested itself in many forms, but no matter what role someone played in the organization, the question remained. And the question mutated and multiplied until it ultimately grew into its most exaggerated shape in the days and weeks leading up to the moment Giannis Antetokounmpo became eligible to sign his supermax extension last offseason. As days passed and Antetokounmpo still had not signed the extension, the questions grew louder.

Is Khris Middleton good enough to be the No. 2 option on a title contender? Is Jrue Holiday good enough to convince Antetokounmpo the Bucks are serious about winning? Is the rest of the roster good enough to give the Bucks’ stars the support they need in a title run? Is Mike Budenholzer good enough to make the adjustments needed to put the Bucks over the top? Is Jon Horst good enough to pick out the savvy moves needed to put together a championship roster?

With a 118-107 victory in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals to send the Bucks to their first NBA Finals since 1974, the Bucks authored a definitive response to those questions:

Enough.

With a chance to close out the Hawks in Game 6 on the road with Antetokounmpo sidelined for a second straight game because of a hyperextended left knee, Middleton, the player some doubted could consistently be a 20-point-per-game scorer, scored 23 points in the third quarter alone on his way to 32 points, four rebounds and seven assists. It was the second time in the series Middleton had scored at least 20 points in a quarter (fourth quarter of Game 3) on the road.

After a putrid first half that included six turnovers, Middleton took control of the game in the second half by scoring the Bucks’ first 16 points of the third quarter. just three and a half minutes into the second half, Middleton’s outburst ultimately became an individual 16-2 run where he opened up a 63-47 lead for the Bucks after they led by just four at halftime.

“He’s the type of player that he puts all the weight on his shoulders and doesn’t care,” Holiday said (27 points, nine rebounds and nine assists) after the win. “He’s like, ‘Come on.'”

And throughout that entire run, Middleton just did what he always has done. He used his dribble, length and craftiness to create shots for himself that he buried, even with defenders putting a hand in his face.

“I feel like everything that happened last year and the previous years, people always talking about how they didn’t have enough or how they didn’t do this or do that; I feel like Khris, man, he’s been that person,” Holiday said. “He’s been that guy.”

After Middleton’s hot shooting petered out in the fourth quarter, the Hawks trimmed the Bucks lead to just six points, 107-101, with 3:41 remaining. In an ideal world, Middleton’s hot-shooting night would have paired with a huge performance by Antetokounmpo, but with no Greek Freak on the floor and the Hawks defense tilted in Middleton’s direction, the Bucks needed somebody else to step up. And that was the moment Holiday stepped up, put his head down to get to the rim and made one of the most ridiculous lay-ups of the entire season.

In doing so, Holiday showed exactly why the Bucks gave up three first-round picks and two more potential first-round pick swaps to get him in Milwaukee.

“I think pressure is often external, right,” Pat Connaughton (13 points, eight rebounds) said. “So internally within the team, we just love playing with him. We love having him on board. We love the type of guy he is as a person. As a player, he always makes the right play. When he’s in attack mode he’s really hard to stop not just from a scoring standpoint but from getting other guys involved, getting guys easy shots, getting open shots, whatever it might be.”

With Antetokounmpo out for the final two games of the series, Holiday stepped up in a major way alongside Middleton. After a disappointing Game 4 loss that evened the series, the Bucks re-focused their effort and took two straight games from the Hawks with both Holiday and Middleton playing a major role. In Games 5 and 6, Holiday averaged 26 points, 7.5 rebounds and 11 assists per game, while Middleton put up 29 points per game, 8.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists.

But they were not alone. They got help from up and down the Bucks’ roster to close out the series.

The Bucks could not have won the final two games against the Hawks without their triumvirate of big men that started alongside Middleton and Holiday. Brook Lopez stepped up in a major way offensively with 33 points in Game 5, but his ability to execute a switching defense in both games allowed the Bucks to stifle everything the Hawks wanted to do across both games. Bobby Portis and P.J. Tucker hit the offensive glass with as much force as possible and kept multiple possessions alive across the final two games of the series. The Bucks bench of Pat Connaughton, Bryn Forbes, Jeff Teague and Thanasis Antetokounmpo scored 29 points in the Game 6 win.

“As a head coach, I feel fortunate to have been through this experience and kind of have seen it from a different seat (as an assistant coach), but now to do it as a head coach is special,” Budenholzer said of making his first Finals appearance as a head coach. “But it’s the players that do it. I love our group. I love coaching them. I’m happy for them. When I take a second tonight, when we take a second tonight, it’s really just joy and happiness for your players; that they put the work in, the time to get to this place, and just be happy for them.”

While Budenholzer gave the credit to the players on the roster assembled by general manager Jon Horst, the Bucks might not have made it to the Finals without Budenholzer leaving his comfort zone and trying new things. The series was tied at two when Budenholzer changed the Bucks’ defensive scheme and asked his big men to get slightly uncomfortable and switch one through five in ball screens, which meant covering smaller guards that would try to drive by them. And while he may not describe it as uncomfortable, that change meant Budenholzer moved away from the drop pick-and-roll coverage that had led to the Bucks putting together the league’s best regular season defense the last two seasons.

“He’s done more adjusting this year than he’s ever done before, schemes and some of the things that we’re doing, he’s getting a little more adventurous,” Tucker said. “And I think the personnel, that gives him a freedom to do that a lot more and that’s one of the reasons we’ve been so successful.”

By embracing change and trying new defensive strategies, Budenholzer and the Bucks pulled out a hard-fought series against the Hawks in the Eastern Conference finals and celebrated the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance in 47 years on Saturday night. With their star watching from the sideline for the final two games of the series, Antetokounmpo’s teammates answered all the questions that had been asked of them over the previous three seasons.

They are good enough.

And Antetokounmpo made sure to let all of them know that in the series clincher.

“This is probably the most I’ve seen Giannis talk, like the whole game,” Holiday said. “I know usually when he’s on the court and he’s running, racing through five people and blocking shots, I mean, you’re tired. He’s tired and he’s playing. But man, he’s motivating everybody, he’s motivating me, telling me to push the pace, telling me to keep being aggressive and telling me to lock people up.”

After every big play in Game 6, Antetokounmpo was there. After a big offensive rebound, Antetokounmpo yelled or flexed as the situation deemed necessary. As his teammates got back onto the floor after a timeout, Antetokounmpo walked with his teammates or pulled them aside to give them a piece of advice. And when they pulled out the victory, Antetokounmpo celebrated with them.

As the time ticked off the clock and the buzzer sounded on Game 6, Middleton made his way through the line of Hawks walking down the sideline to extend his appreciation for a hard-fought series. Antetokounmpo did the same thing, but took a more circuitous route out onto the floor. As both finished up their conversations, they made their way back toward the Bucks bench. A few coaches stopped Middleton around midcourt, while Antetokounmpo slowly weaved through remaining Hawks staffers and eventually met Middleton at halfcourt.

Antetokounmpo yelled at Middleton and they embraced. Around the same time, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer freed up from the mob of people on the floor and looked on briefly before getting to give Middleton a hug of his own. As he was asked about it after the game, Budenholzer smiled and then choked up briefly before talking about the moment.
Mike Budenholzer watches as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton celebrate the Bucks’ Game 6 win over the Atlanta Hawks. (Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

With the answers surrounding his supporting cast answered, the attention will turn once again toward Antetokounmpo and his health status. The Bucks managed to get through two games of the Eastern Conference Finals without their superstar leading the charge, but to secure a championship, the Bucks will need him back on the floor to beat a Suns squad that is more than good enough as well.

“Khris and Giannis are the key to this team, the key to this organization,” Budenholzer said. “To have the opportunity to coach them and come here three years ago and try and build something special, those two guys are special, and it starts with them. Just feel incredibly fortunate to coach those two guys.”

Their teammates feel the same way.

“Khris is the heart of this team,” Holiday said. “I feel like Giannis is the soul of this team, and without them, man, we really wouldn’t be here.”

But the special moment ended there. The Bucks have another series to play and four more wins to pick up to win the franchise’s first NBA championship since 1971. According to the players, the team’s celebration in the visiting locker room in Atlanta was subdued and the reason why was simple.

“We ain’t did nothing yet,” Tucker said.

Thompson: The Suns have risen! How can you not like them?
Marcus Thompson II Jul 1, 2021 144

The Phoenix Suns basically had a parade last night. Thousands flocked to the airport to welcome the new kings of the West.

Devin Booker and Chris Paul sat on the roof of a classic Buick Grand National during a 1 a.m. impromptu procession, a star guard on either side of the T-topped roof soaking in the love. Frank Kaminsky chugged a beer. Downtown Phoenix was all the way lit.

Yes, the Suns still have four wins to get. Sure, the celebration might’ve felt a bit much for the accolade — the franchise’s first trip to the NBA Finals since Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson took it there in 1993. Yet, it’s still dope.

A postseason that has extracted so much still manages to bless us with the Suns. In a shortened season marred with injuries, COVID-19 and relentless disparaging discourse, Phoenix brought the warmth NBA fans desperately needed. A team to feel good about. A team credible with its valiance on the court and that’s adorable with its reverence for the moment. It’s refreshing how the Suns and their fans aren’t too pretentious to fully enjoy this.

Stephen Curry didn’t make the playoffs. LeBron James got bounced early. Kawhi Leonard got hurt. And yet, the sun didn’t set in the West. It just posted up in Phoenix, shining so bright as to draw attention to something special brewing. Sure, some of us called the rise of Phoenix back in May. (Wait, was it just me? No way.) But what’s unique about the Suns is how their arrival was improbable enough to be surprising — and yet they’re good enough that it doesn’t feel like a fluke.

How can you not like these Suns?

Their best player is Booker, a magnet for favor. His connection to the legacy of Kobe Bryant. His game is attractive and unique to him, with his picturesque shot and penchant for scoring bursts. His persona, which fits perfectly between Hollywood and street cred.

We got to watch him grow up in these playoffs. He’s toiled for years and did so the right way. The way we like our athletes. No complaining. No leaking of trade demands. Just put in the work, keep getting better, paying your dues. And just when he was becoming a sympathetic figure, when even Booker fans were about ready to demand the trade on his behalf, it was harvest time. The opportunity came, and Booker rose to the moment. We got to watch a star make the ascension to superstar and join the ranks of the elite. When the league’s best are mentioned, Devin Booker can’t be left out anymore.

How can you not like these Suns?

Admittedly, CP3 is an acceptable answer. The veteran point guard can certainly be irritating with the antics. Even in the biggest game of his life, late in the second half when it was time to lock in and close out a team that wouldn’t be easy to eliminate, Paul was taking dives and trying to get over.

It’s unbecoming when his ultra-competitiveness resorts to such things because he is so good. Paul is the quintessential point guard of a generation. Drafted in 2005, he’s played in three decades and — despite the changes in the game and the escalating demands from the position — has been a top-notch point guard in each decade. He just cooked the Clippers in an elimination game, dropping 31 of his 41 in the second half.

Yes, the Clippers were tired. But Paul is 36 years old, 6-foot-nothing, and he made them look it.

Don’t like CP3? Perfectly fine. Even the NBA needs heels, people to root against. But they only matter if they are worthy. Chris Paul is worthy. To not respect his game, what he’s bounced back from in his 16 years, what he’s doing at this stage in his career, is crazy. What he’s meant to the Suns, what he and Phoenix have found in each other, is a compelling layer to their story.

How can you not like the Suns?

Their fans alone have been one of the gems of this postseason. They reminded us what epic NBA crowds sound like, feel like — and gave us Suns in four! guy Nick McKellar. Even Lil Wayne showed up in the Valley.

How can you not like these Suns?

Deandre Ayton was written off as a bust, lost in the shadow of Luka Doncic and Trae Young. But he really has been the difference-maker in these playoffs. He was Phoenix’s answer to Anthony Davis and Nikola Jokic, validating himself as a No. 1 pick. Seeing a youngster reach his potential is always a good thing. Seeing him run into the stands and hug his mom is the kind of purity we need to cleanse our eyes.

How can you not like these Suns?

They’re led by a coach in Monty Williams and a general manager in James Jones who are universally and unanimously regarded with the utmost respect. They both handle their business with class and humility, deferring the shine to the court and not — Suge Knight voice — all in the videos, dancing.

Williams’ imprint is all over this team, and he planted the seed for this confident bunch in the NBA bubble in 2020. What he began building a year ago, and his relationship with Paul, lured the optimal point guard to Phoenix.

Jones’ imprint is all over this team, too. It is not a coincidence a team put together by Jones is stocked with ideal role players. Mikal Bridges is the consummate role player of the modern era. He could grow into more, but right now, you can’t find a more perfect complementary player for a great team. Journeymen Jae Crowder and Cameron Payne have proven to be sent from heaven. It seemed Dario Saric and Kaminsky, both lottery picks who fell shy of their expectations, arrived in the desert two years ago to bury their careers and somehow found new life in the Valley. Even the late pickup of Torrey Craig was profitable.

The Suns are here because of their versatility. They can play just about any style, and have a counter to just about strategy, because of how Jones stocked this roster. And how Williams fit it all together. It was so good, they threw it in the air and it turned to sunshine.

Phoenix may not have made it this far in normal conditions. They may not even win the title this season. Who knows how they will stack up in a healthier future with a more regular schedule. They could be outclassed by the usual favorites. Or, this could also be the beginning, the early arrival of a new NBA power.

None of that matters, though. Not right now. What’s relevant is how the Suns delivered for us this season, in these circumstances. The saving grace of this forsaken postseason is the novelty. It’s been a long time, since perhaps the 2015 Warriors, that a team came from nowhere to shake up the status quo. And since, much energy has been exhausted complaining about super teams, about the absence of uncertainty, about the decline of more organic collectives.

Well, the Suns have risen. Bright. Fresh. Fun. The proper response is to bask.