NBA News Roundup: LeBron James enters the billionaire's club, Andrew Wiggins impressed by how the Golden State Warriors' Big 3 handle high-pressure situations, and more - June 2nd, 2022
Game 1 of the NBA Finals is set to begin in San Francisco as the Golden State Warriors host the Boston Celtics. The other 28 teams are already in offseason mode and preparing for next season. Trade rumors have started emerging as well as hype for the draft on June 23.
Many lottery teams are eyeing college players who can turn their franchise around. The Orlando Magic have the first pick and are looking to pair Jalen Suggs with one of the best players in the nation.
Meanwhile, the LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are finding ways to bounce back from their disappointing seasons.
So, let's dive into a few news stories around the league from the last 24 hours.
Steve Kerr appreciates how both NBA Finalists were built through patience and drafts
The Golden State Warriors are taking on the Boston Celtics, and the cores of both teams were built through the draft instead of through free agency.
Golden State's core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green were all drafted. The new additions like Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody were, too.
On the other side of the court, Boston has mostly home-grown players as well. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Robert Williams were all drafted by the Celtics.
The teams invested in player development instead of trying to assemble a team through free agency and trades. Warriors coach Steve Kerr spoke about this on NBA Finals media day:
"What I like is, it's two teams that are mostly built with patience and through the draft and development, player development and continuity. I think that's good for the sport."
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr tells @BallySports he respects how the Boston Celtics built their team & he says it reminds him of how the Warriors were built last decade. https://t.co/gVR63ruo6j
LeBron James enters the billionaire's club
LeBron James has a host of different investments and companies that he runs outside of basketball. He is the overall highest-paid NBA player when counting endorsements and not just salary. James' sneaker line with Nike also earns him huge chunks of money.
James has become a billionaire and is the only active player to do so. Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant both became billionaires after retirement.
LeBron James Is Officially A Billionaire trib.al/HeR6Bsv https://t.co/5c6cdbYLN8
Andrew Wiggins lauds the Golden State Warriors' Big 3 for staying calm during high-intensity moments
The Golden State Warriors have been in several playoff scenarios before. They have been down in series and fought to win while also sweeping several opponents. Andrew Wiggins, an outsider among the experienced group, is impressed at how Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green handles high-pressure situations.
Wiggins said:
"I feel like it comes to them easy. That's because they've been here for so long. They've been here and had success. So, those guys are very, you know, confident, very calm in high-intensity situations. It's good."
Wiggs talks about how Steph, Klay and Draymond handle the pressures of being in the NBA Finals https://t.co/UhT5G5mS1V
ESPN's Basketball Power Index chooses Boston Celtics as massive favorites for the NBA Finals
The Boston Celtics have entered the NBA Finals as the betting underdogs as most sportsbooks have given the Golden State Warriors the favorable odds. However, ESPN's Basketball Power Index modeled a different conclusion.
ESPN's Zach Lowe, a senior NBA analyst, believes the Celtics are the perfect match for the Warriors' motion offense and should be favorites. Lowe wrote:
"Boston is the only team in the Kerr era with a winning record against Golden State. The Celtics should be favorites. Some models – including ESPN's Basketball Power Index – peg them as such. Oddsmakers disagree."
ESPN's Basketball Power Index has given Boston an overwhelming 86% chance to win the NBA Finals.
The Celtics have a strong chance to beat the Warriors in the #NBAFinals, according to ESPN's BPI 👀 https://t.co/JJzaNSwfGF
Brooklyn Nets not interested in drafting this year as they defer their 2022 pick from Philadelphia to 2023
The Brooklyn Nets haven't found success in the Kevin Durant era so far but believe they are on the right path. They received a pick from the Philadelphia 76ers after the James Harden trade which was the 23rd pick in this year's draft. However, as reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sean Marks-led front office is deferring it to next year. He reported:
"Deferring the pick allows the Nets to keep flexibility over an extended period on using that pick in trades – and gives them a roll of the dice that the pick could land higher on the draft board next year based upon the success of the Sixers' coming season."
ESPN Sources: The Brooklyn Nets are deferring acquisition of the Philadelphia 76ers 2022 first-round pick at No. 23 to the 2023 NBA Draft. The option on pushing back pick comes out of the James Harden-Ben Simmons trade. Nets had to inform the league office of decision today.