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Admit it. You probably didn’t think much of it when the Suns signed Bismack Biyombo, right? It wasn’t a huge deal at the time, but it is now.
It was the first day of the new year, and maybe you had other things on your mind. Plus, it was only a 10-day contract signed via the COVID-19 hardship exception. Most of those didn’t amount to much of anything at all. This one probably wasn’t going to move the needle, either.
But, I’ll tell you this much. Biyombo told HoopsHype he wasn’t coming for ten days. He was coming to make a statement. So far, that’s exactly what he has done.
During the regular season, Biyombo had some high-impact double-double performances. He was getting valuable minutes when the Suns were amidst their hottest win streak. It’s the playoffs, though, where his signing has stood out.
Last season, during the NBA Finals, the Suns outscored the Bucks during the 225 minutes Ayton was on the floor. Phoenix, however, was outscored by 23 points in the 63 minutes without their starting big man.
Biyombo, who has played well in the postseason, gives them insurance that will not happen again — even if both Ayton and JaVale McGee find they are in foul trouble.
He proved exactly that against the Mavericks, scoring 9 points in 18 minutes.
The Tip-Off
If you were surprised to learn that Miami’s Tyler Herro won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, you probably missed our predictive survey.
That’s okay, though. I get it. We post a lot of content. I can’t expect you to read all of it. (Although hopefully, this newsletter helps a little bit with that problem!)
Herro was an outstanding scorer who decimated other second units, and he epitomizes what the Sixth Man of the Year Award represents of late. His alma mater, Kentucky, should be proud. They showed enough pride that they even made a little graphic about it.
But, as my colleague Mike Sykes notes, it may be a bit rough on the eyes.
“This graphic is just…weird. The tweet is kind of weird, too, honestly. The hashtag #6MOTYLER is just…that’s a bit much. And the flyer itself? It looks like a club flyer of some sort.
Y’all know the flyers I’m talking about. The joints that get stuck to your windshield because the party promoter sneakily stuck it there while you were in the grocery store. Yes. Those flyers.”
Hopefully, if Miami wins the NBA title, Kentucky’s athletic department can send out a congratulatory post that earns their social media team the Most Improved Post award.
One to Watch
FRIDAY: Heat (-1.5, -120) vs. 76ers (+100), O/U 210.5, 7:00 PM ET
(All odds via Tipico.)
This game isn’t until tomorrow, but Philly has a must-win game against Miami on Friday evening. The Sixers are down 0-2 to start the series, which they are currently playing without Joel Embiid due to injury.
If they cannot win this game and fall down to 0-3, it’s possible we’ll have to start thinking about who may replace Doc Rivers — and where Rivers could go next.
The more pressing question: If he doesn’t play well, James Harden is headed into an offseason that has massive implications on his free agency. What will his future look like with another early exit?
Who’s in and out?
— Heat: Kyle Lowry (hamstring) is questionable against Philadelphia on Friday
— 76ers: Joel Embiid (head) and Georges Niang (knee) are both questionable against Miami on Friday
— Warriors: Gary Payton (elbow) is out for the season
— Celtics: Marcus Smart (quad) is questionable on Saturday against the Bucks
Shootaround
—Devin Booker brought back his own laying-on-the-court meme in Game 2
—The Suns exposed Luka Doncic on defense, and that’s terrible news for the Mavericks
— James Harden, Sixers still feeling confident ahead of Game 3 vs. Heat
—HoopsHype’s trade rumor rankings: Donovan Mitchell leads the pack
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