The NBA playoffs are considered to be the most exciting time of the year, but this year’s post-season has yet to reach a great height.
When you reward mediocrity by progressing out of 20 regular seasons out of 30 teams and eliminating only four franchises before the actual playoffs begin, the results are bound to be one-sided.
None of the eight series in the first round went to the seven deciding games, and the home-court favorites won. Half of them went to six games, three were 4-1 kickwalks and a Boston sweep of Brooklyn was the only shut-out.
The second round was good and the Celtics easily finished defending Milwaukee in the best series in seven games. Golden State’s 4-2 win over Memphis would have been closer if it hadn’t been for Ja Morant’s injury, while Philadelphia would have bowed their heads in just one of six games near Miami, winning the last two games to knock out Phoenix.
Adding to the lack of spark in the playoffs is the high number of blowouts.
In an era of three-point focus, teams often fall behind at the start of a match with a double-digit lead but run with a barrage from a long range to beat them.
(Photo Harry How / Getty Images)
However, when the playoffs do not spend the night on defense because the schedule is not as difficult as in the regular season, it is very difficult for the teams behind to return to the competition.
Several times in the playoffs when the teams were off the night, they tried to run in the middle of the game, it did not work and since the beginning of the third quarter we have been forced to endure pseudo rubbish.
Even the teams that reached the final of the conference are to blame.
Golden State lost in Memphis when the Grizzlies were 39 points without Morant and the final scoreline flattered the Warriors. At one point, the Grizzlies had risen to 55. The Warriors kept the home team’s deep bench players at 15 to close the gap on the final.
The NBA’s way is that Golden State returns home to win the following game by 14 points and win the series.
It was a similar situation when the Dallas defeated the Sun in their series final in Phoenix. The Mavericks were ahead 57-27 in the half – Luca Donsic scored as many points as the opponent – and the last two quarters served as a painful funeral for the Sun on their home floor.
Even in the Celtics-Bucks series there were only two games in the singles final.
With 11 wins in the third quarter and a 25-run victory over Dallas Golden State on Thursday, the conference finals have also started unilaterally, with the hit Boston on hand.
This means that out of 72 play-off matches so far, more than half (38) of them have been decided by double digits – 21 out of 44 in the first round, 15 out of 26 in the second round inconsistently when the gap between the teams is close and both conference final games are over. Assumed.
Play-off refereeing is often tough, resulting in more fouls, fewer game totals and a tougher scoreline, but this is not to blame for the mid-post-season this year.
Although play-off scores were much lower than regular-season free-alls, the winning margin did not narrow.
NBA chief Honchora is unlikely to consider the idea because the more play-off games there are, the more revenue there will be, but first-round series should go back to the five-match series.
Nikola Jokic. (Photo by Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)
The stars playoff and the NBA is going through a transitional phase at the moment as it prepares for the post-LeBron James era. The Kings Lakers didn’t even make it to the play-in tournaments and the young stars like his contemporaries like Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and James Harden seem to be entering the twilight year of their career.
Back-to-back MVPs, Nikola Djokovic, naturally shy of publicity, and his team bombed in the first round when separated by the Denver Warriors.
Giannis Antetekounmpo is now the biggest star in the NBA but his team is also out. Steve Curry has been left to carry the flag of established stars when the NBA will market Donetsk out of hell if he can take Mavericks to the finals.
In the East, the hit hall is the epitome of a team-first franchise with Jimmy Butler where they are closest to a true superstar when a traditional powerhouse in Boston can overtake Miami, then Jason Tatum will be the league’s marquee name to become one.
There will be at least one new champion team that gives the much-needed extra-bit story line omph in the last three series although the matches may not necessarily be tight.
(Photo via Melissa Tamez / Icon Sportswear Getty Images)
It is unfortunate to miss the GIddey All Rookie First Team
It was certainly unfortunate not to have the All-NBA Rookie First Team when Boomers Rising star Josh Giddy announced Thursday.
The OKC guard clarified his feelings on Twitter with some tearful humorous emojis when Shams Charania of The Athletics broke the story of the first and second team.
Toronto’s Rocky Scotty Burns of the Year, Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Detroit forward Cade Cunningham have been named no-brainers, with Orlando’s Franz Wagner posting 15 points and five rebounds per game, and Houston’s Jalen Green, ranked No. 2 overall. This is after the Rockets scored 17 points in 67 games.
Gide has won the Western Conference Rookie of the Month four times (more than anyone else) and averaged 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 54 games before his season ended prematurely.
That’s where he loses the prize – Thunder’s shameless policy of shutting down players who contribute to winning their draft lottery odds in the final months of the season.
If he had played 10 or more games, Giddy would have been shoe-in.
There is no way Gide would miss when his numbers match Green’s in the game. Green’s only Rookie of the Month honor in the West was the final of the season when Gideon was no longer in Hardwood.
It is also clear from the official breakdown that virtually all voters voted for Green, Wagner and Pelican Defensive Dynamo Harb Jones, the three main contenders with only four votes, probably on a panel of 100-strong athletes from their local market representatives and broadcasters.
The NBA is still refusing to give me an official vote, but Giddey was on my ballot with Wagner and Green before Jones, another member of the first party.
With Jones, Denver’s Bonus Highland, Chicago’s Ayo Dosunmu and pacers’ sharpshooter Chris Duart being named in the second team, at least Gide has not been left out.
More importantly for Giddy, his franchise has been lucky enough to pick No. 2 in the draft lottery, which means the Thunder will choose one of the first three picks – Cate Holmgren, Pillo Banchero or Jabari Smith Jr.
They will end up with either Gide on the backcourt and Shy will fit perfectly with Gilgius-Alexander and Lu Dort as their defensive stopper on the wing.
Must watch the match
Friday – Heat Celtics, 10.30am AEST
Boston missed the services of defensive player Marcus Smart of the year in the first game but has been upgraded as a potential due to recovery from a foot injury but experienced center Al Harford is not guaranteed to return after being in COVID-19 protocol. Miami veteran Kyle Lori sat out the first game and has already been ruled out of the second fight due to his hamstring strain.
Saturday – Mavericks at Warriors, 11 a.m. AEST
Luka Donsick was stopped by a very humiliating Andrew Wiggins in Game One for scoring just 20 points in a 6/18 shootout. Yes. If Dallas coach Jason Kidd can’t come up with a plan to give his star some space, it could be a short series.