The Pure Hoops Quick Hitters

On this week's Quick Hitter from the Mike Wise Show, Mike and Bruce discuss their favorite breakout performer of the NBA Finals: Emily from YouTube TV.

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On this Catch & Shoot 2.0 Quick Hitter, Otto Strong, Aaron Berlin, & Dave Wohl discuss why Chris Paul's style of leadership is more effective in Phoenix than it was when CP3 was on the LA Clippers. And Dave knows better than anyone. Why? Because he was the GM of the Clippers during Paul's years in LA.

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Sam Mitchell joined BJ Armstrong and Eric Newman on the Pure Hoops Podcast and shared memories of the Bulls vs Pacers battles of the 1990s highlighted by what happened when Sam talked trash to Michael Jordan during one of those intense Chicago Indiana battles. This will now be known as "THE BALD HEAD MJ STORY" 

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Chris Paul is a future Hall of Famer and nobody will argue that he isn't. But while hoop immortals like Patrick Ewing & Charles Barkley are enshrined in Springfield, neither won an NBA Championship. If CP3 leads Phoenix to a title, he will have done something in his 16th NBA season that moves him closer to the "Mt. Rushmore" of point guards.

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There are three NBA teams that have open head coaching positions. The Pelicans, Wizards, and Magic are considering their options, including the possibility of hiring a qualified woman for the job. If one of the teams does pick a woman, it will require courage on the part of the organization as well as "buy in" from the team's star player(s). On this week's Quick Hitter from the Buckets, Boards, & Blocks crew, Monica McNutt, King McClure, & Bruce Bernstein examine the issues that will factor into the decisions each team must make.

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Rob Peterson, Senior NBA Editor for The Athletic, discusses how Khris Middleton has ascended from D-Leaguer to All-Star and key component in the Milwaukee Bucks run to a potential NBA Finals appearance. Peterson describes how the relationship between Middleton and superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has evolved over time, explaining they didn't start out as the best of friends, but have come to rely on each other to take this team to its highest level since 1974.

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On Monday, the Celtics formally announced Ime Udoka as their new head coach. Chauncey Billups will soon be officially named as Portland's head coach, and Nate McMillan will likely have the "interim" label removed in Atlanta. So while African American head coaches have become commonplace in the NBA, we're still waiting for the first Woman to get a head coaching job. Which team will have the courage to go first? Mike Wise and Bruce Bernstein examine these topics in the new Quick Hitter from the Mike Wise Show.

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Sam Mitchell joined BJ Armstrong and Eric Newman on the Pure Hoops Podcast and shared in detail the intensity and physicality of the Knicks vs Pacers rivalry of the 1990s. The Knicks and Pacers faced each other in five different playoff series in the 1990s highlighted by a seven game thrillers in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals and 1995 Eastern Conference Finals. With players such as Reggie Miller, Dale Davis, Antonio Davis, Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, John Starks and Anthony Mason, this was one of the fiercest rivalries during the epic decade of the 1990s. 

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Sam Mitchell joined BJ Armstrong and Eric Newman on the Pure Hoops Podcast and shared how former NBA All-Star and current Memphis Tigers coach Penny Hardaway helped Cameron Payne get back on the NBA track. Payne is now playing a key role backing up Chris Paul for the Phoenix Suns who are trying to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993, and win the first title in franchise history.

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Former WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike was not selected for the USA Olympic basketball team. She is the only MVP from the "W" to not compete in the Olympics. Monica McNutt, Cindy Brunson of the Pac 12 Network, and producer Bruce Bernstein discuss what happened and why this icon of Women's hoop will not be in Tokyo competing for her country.

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