It’s getting fairly freaking unfunny how shortly the playoffs can flip narratives. The NBA’s Eastern Conference is meant to be the superior of the 2, with the three finest data belonging to Milwaukee, Boston, and Philadelphia, and 4 of the highest six marks general. The first spherical was going to bolster that, but the one and 4 seeds misplaced in 5 video games, the Celtics wanted six tries to lastly put down Trae Young, and Joel Embiid is reminding us of why we have now to be talked into the 76ers originally of every yr.
The solely team within the East that’s its finest postseason self year-in and year-out is Miami, and the Heat misplaced a play-in sport in a non-competitive style earlier than turning into a pack of pitbulls however not till dropping their second-best scoring choice. The case for which convention is strolling away with the title closely consists of the Heat, and that ought to let you know all you should find out about which method I’m leaning.
Out West, at the very least the outcomes are following a type of recognizable logic: One seed wins in 5, as does the team that includes Kevin Durant, with Steph Curry- and LeBron James-led groups a win away from the second spherical. Boston remains to be the favourite to take house the title, however 4 of the highest six franchises on that listing — Phoenix, Denver, Golden State, and Los Angeles — hail from the West.
The Warriors and Lakers are giving me nightmares of one other title run, Durant and Devin Booker are doing their finest Benicio Del Toro Sicarios impressions, and Nikola Jokić shrugged off the most important frontline he’s going to face like they had been kindergartners. I’m assuming there are odds for which convention goes to win the title, and that the payout for the West isn’t that nice.
Something amiss in regards to the Celtics
That one thing is Jayson Tatum. I maintain ready for the MVP candidate from the primary half of the season to reappear, and for no matter motive, we’re getting the model of Tatum that’s type of settling for threes whereas solely hitting 33 p.c of them, going 21-of–60 from deep towards Atlanta. The Hawks had been capable of throw a bunch of our bodies at him, and take the ball out of his fingers, so the elevated consideration is a contributing issue, as effectively.
It’s good that Jaylen Brown is taking part in so effectively, however that is the postseason. The 1A alpha canine are alleged to be cooking with napalm a la Booker or Jimmy Butler aka Playoff Jimmy. We’ll possible see a more practical Tatum towards the Sixers as a result of perimeter protection is non-compulsory in Philly, however each potential ECF foes have wings to throw at Boston.
This is by the way the case for Boston nonetheless being the title favourite as a result of aside from the Warriors, the remaining West squads don’t have the best personnel to cease the likes of Brown and Tatum. (That’s assuming Sacramento or Memphis are completed.) Look at what Kawhi Leonard did in his wholesome minutes towards Phoenix, or Anthony Edwards’ sequence dealing with the Nuggets. It might be a area day for the C’s granted they get there. However, that’s a large leap to make with the query marks cropping up like loopy in the latter half of the primary spherical.
If you hearken to Celtics’ followers, they don’t totally belief the purpose guard spot, or at the very least the best way Joe Mazzulla is managing it late in video games. There was a lot of Marcus Smart and Al Horford in the course of the 16-6 run the Celtics used to place away the Hawks in Game 6, and that’s troubling contemplating how Smart has regarded this yr, and Horford’s age.
Boston is legitimately fortunate this didn’t go to seven, and that they didn’t totally be part of the opposite two East groups whose regular-season type utterly melted away as soon as the playoffs began. While it might be anyone’s yr writ massive, I’ll take anyone from the West over the East till additional discover.
Discussion about this post