Q: Ira, I got all the jokes about Erik Spoelstra recruiting at the Olympics. But Bam Adebayo has looked so good alongside Kevin Durant that I was wondering if Pat Riley makes another run. – Robert.
A: But Bam Adebayo also has looked good (at least in terms of team success) alongside Jimmy Butler, with whom he has made three of the last five Eastern Conference finals. Beyond that, with the recent addition of Tyus Jones, the Suns have made clear that they will attempt to do everything possible to make it work with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Now, if things go south for the Suns by midseason, then it certainly might be worth Riley cycling back to a familiar name. But also keep in mind that Kevin Durant will be 36 by the start of next season. So if the thought is to move off of Jimmy, who turns 35 by the start of the season, then you’re not exactly talking about a youth movement.
Q: Seeing Bam Adebayo, Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis line up in Saturday’s game was a sight to see, switching everything. – Douglas.
A: Which sort of has been an Erik Spoelstra goal, and something he had the opportunity to do last season with a closing defensive lineup of at least Bam Adebayo, Caleb Martin, Haywood Highsmith and Jimmy Butler. With Caleb gone, it will be interesting to see if the confidence is there to cast Jaime Jaquez Jr. in such a role, since I doubt Kel’el Ware is yet up to such switching. But, again, be careful of comparisons of Bam playing at the moment alongside Olympic greatness as opposed to a more typical NBA roster.
Q: Ira, you’ve written a lot about Nikola Jovic in the Olympics, but all I’ve seen is him waving his hand for the ball in the corner. – Ronnie.
A: First, as he returns from the ankle sprain that almost kept him out of the Olympics, the mobility likely is not fully back. Beyond that, the post belongs to Nikola Jokic, so everyone else on the Sebia roster is playing off of the Nuggets big man. And when it comes to perimeter play, Bogdan Bogdanivic handles that for the Serbs. So basically that leaves Nikola Jovic as a complementary piece, with complementary pieces often cast to the 3-point corner. Still, this current experience is invaluable. The more big games the 21-year-old experiences, the quicker he learns what is necessary at the highest level of the game.