Horace Grant likes his team's chances in a game that could never happen. (USATSI)
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As the Miami Heat prepare for their showdown with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals for the second straight year, Horace Grant is preparing a war of words with LeBron James' team. In a radio interview with WSCR-AM in Chicago, Grant was asked about whether or not the Chicago Bulls teams Grant used to play on could beat the Heat of today. Shockingly, Grant, who has been retired for a decade, thinks the team he didn't play for wouldn't have a chance.
Gregg Doyel Horace Grant needs to shut up about the Heat
With today's rules, Grant thinks the Bulls would have locked down the Heat and Michael Jordan would have a field day with the way the game is played now. From ESPN Chicago:
With four more wins, the Miami Heat will match one of Michael Jordan's greatest feats -- three straight NBA championships -- but former Bull Horace Grant says that doesn't mean LeBron James' team could have beaten those Chicago teams.
"The Heat wouldn't have had a chance," Grant said Tuesday on WSCR-AM in Chicago. "We would have locked them up. We would have locked them up. Especially with the rules today, Michael would have had a field day."
Let's say we develop a time machine in which this is possible. Should we use it to right the wrongs of the tragedies of the past or should we use it to start pitting together all-time sports match-ups we want to see the most? There's a lot of wrong in what Grant is saying, but it has nothing to do with who he thinks would win.
It's fine for him to think the Bulls would win. That's the competitor in him and older retired guys are as likely to think they would win as the current players of today who are in their primes. That's just how bravado goes. But considering the Bulls wouldn't be allowed to use hand-checking in defense with the rules of today, I'm not sure how he believes they'd lock them down. It doesn't mean they wouldn't beat the Heat and having Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan patrolling the perimeter is certainly a big deal defensively. But the game has changed quite a bit and it doesn't always translate to the players and schemes of the past.
Also, considering the Bulls weren't built for 3-point shooting (93 Bulls took 669 attempts from the 3-point line while this year's Heat made 665), that would also be a huge change in the game from a stylistic and game planning standpoint. We should invent that time machine though.
Basketball Hot News
Report: Steve Kerr meeting with David Blatt to be lead assistant coach
You would be hard pressed to find a coach more respected as an offensive innovator than David Blatt.
He’s not a name known to the common fan, but the American-born coach just led Maccabi Tel Aviv to the EuroLeague title, plus he is the Russian national team coach (bronze medal winners at the London Olympics). He is a guy other coaches study, particularly his offense and transition. There have been a number of teams looking to bring him over, he has been looking for the right spot.
He may have found it — Golden State. Steve Kerr is talking to Blatt, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Blatt is engaged in talks to join Kerr’s staff as the top assistant coach, a move that Blatt had been reluctant to make in past years. Blatt has always been intrigued with coaching in the NBA, but had hoped he could make the transition from Europe into a head coaching job. Blatt has turned down NBA assistant jobs in the past.
The chance to transform Golden State’s deeply talented offensive roster could become a springboard into a head-coaching job elsewhere, and that holds appeal to Blatt, sources told Yahoo Sports. The Warriors have tremendous offensive weapons, including All-Star guard Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and Kerr is trying to put together a staff to maximize those talents.
This would be a great hire for Kerr. With all that firepower the Warriors had the 12th ranked offense in the NBA last season in points per possession, an innovative coach who could raise that ranking would be one step to the Warriors becoming legitimate contenders.
Minnesota is also said to be interested in Blatt, having him as a lead assistant and maybe a “coach in waiting” next to Flip Saunders.
But if you were Blatt, would you rather coach the Timberwolves without Kevin Love (if not this season next) or the Golden State Warriors and Curry? Exactly.
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