NBA PLAYOFFS
LIVE from Sunday April 15 at 5am on
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WORDS: GAVIN DENNETT. PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; JOE FARAONI/ESPN IMAGESWHO’S ON
THE BALL?
Bobby Marks nominates the stars
he expects to dominate on the
court during the NBA playos
JAMES HARDEN
- Houston Rockets
He has been the hands-down
league MVP so far. Already
extremely good, his all-round
game has gotten so much better.
DEMAR DEROZAN
- Toronto Raptors
He has transformed his game.
As one of the best midrange
shooters, he then added
three-point shooting to his game.
KYRIE IRVING
- Boston Celtics
In his first season for Boston he’s
done great things – especially
after they lost Gordon Hayward,
one of their best players, to injury.
LEBRON JAMES
- Cleveland Cavaliers
Never discount James. He’s been
to the last seven NBA Finals in
a row. It’s amazing what he can
do; he spoils us with how good he is!
STEPH CURRY
- Golden State Warriors
The big thing with Curry and
Kevin Durant is that they stay
healthy. If they stay fit, Golden State
will be hard to topple once again.
GIANNIS
ANTETOKOUNMPO
- Milwaukee Bucks
It’s time this Greek star takes his
team to at least the second round.
I think he’ll be fascinating to watch.
NBA
“[Toronto’s] been
remarkable. They
were a good
team that’s
becoming
a great team”
A
fter calling it quits
as assistant general
manager of the
Brooklyn Nets in 2015,
Bobby Marks (pictured inset)
quickly became an in-demand
basketball forecaster thanks to two
decades spent working in the NBA and
his second-to-none expertise of the inner
workings of a major basketball franchise.
In 2017, he joined ESPN to deliver his
distinctive hoops insight. As the competition
heads into the pointy end, Marks speaks to
Foxtel magazine about the NBA playofs...
Are you enjoying your role with ESPN?
I grew up watching ESPN, so to now be
working here is fantastic. I work across
a number of shows, including The Jump,
NBA Countdown, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio
and everything you see on ESPN.com. I think
I provide a diferent perspective from a team
and front-oce side of things – especially
when it comes to trades.
What was your take on the surprising
Cleveland Cavaliers’ trade deadline
day frenzy back in February?
It’s rare to see a playofs contender
completely overhaul their roster. Cleveland
realised their roster didn’t fit and the team
was in trouble. If LeBron James was under
contract for the next few years, there would
have been less pressure, but because he’ll
be a free agent in July, they couldn’t risk
doing nothing and potentially losing him. It’s
given the team new life before the playofs.
Are you excited about the
postseason commencing?
Definitely. Both the western and
eastern conferences have been
very competitive this season.
In the west, the Houston Rockets
and the Golden State Warriors have
dominated. There are the San Antonio
Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves and
Oklahoma City Thunder in that three-to-five
range. The last two spots are out of the
Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets,
New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Lakers
and Utah Jazz, so two teams will miss out.
In the east, the Toronto Raptors, Cleveland
and Boston Celtics are the top three, but only
the Detroit Pistons are on the outside trying
to get in. There is parity with the Milwaukee
Bucks, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers,
Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers.
Toronto’s rise to the top this season
has been a breath of fresh air...
It’s been remarkable. They were a good
team that’s becoming a great team. They
changed the way they played. Coach
Dwane Casey has introduced more ball
movement and developed their bench
to become their X-factor.
Which team is a smokey and likely
to cause an upset?
Minnesota is interesting as they haven’t
been to the playofs since 2004. They
have totally revamped their team, adding
Jimmy Butler and young kids Andrew Wiggins
and Karl-Anthony Towns. It’ll be a totally
new experience for them.
Who do you predict will contest the
NBA Finals?
I think I’ll surprise everybody and say
Toronto in the east and Houston in the west.
The media in the US is on the Cleveland
bandwagon, but this Toronto team can beat
them if they get to an eastern conference
final. It’d be a great story if they pull it of.
Foxtel APRIL 57