NBA Playoffs? What Playoffs?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but we’ve seen a couple of
buzzer-beaters in these playoffs. There was Joel Embiid against the Raptors in Toronto, so we didn’t even
see the crowd go crazy and Jayson Tatum on a layup against the Nets in Boston. There were some more,
but no long-range shots, only in close. All the seemingly good games were in
the first round. Every game has been a blowout; even when there’s potential for
there to be a close game going into the fourth quarter, like there was on
Wednesday, June 8, between the Celtics
and Warriors, one team always runs
away from it. We haven’t even seen a 50-piece in the playoffs and that’s saying
something with the number of points scored in a game nowadays. The only thing
keeping these playoffs watchable is the comeback potential. There have been
some wild leads blown, especially in the Grizzlies-Timberwolves
series and the Warriors-Mavericks
series. But hey, it's the playoffs.
We get to watch the NBA’s best square off against each other
in a high-stakes matchup.
Even the game on Friday, June 10 was shaping up to be a
really close game down the stretch but Steph Curry did what he always does. He
really dropped 43 on a spectacular defensive team and grabbed 10 rebounds. Keep
in mind they have Draymond Green and Kevon Looney, who are getting paid $30
million combined just to pull down rebounds. Also, keep in mind Steph Curry is 6’3”
and Looney is 6’9”. But throughout these playoffs, I see one major thing
regarding the Celtics. Jayson Tatum
is their X-factor. If he’s on, then the Celtics are unstoppable. Now, keep in
mind that Tatum had games where he had less than 15 points, but they still won.
When I say “on,” I also mean when he’s passing the ball perfectly, rebounding,
and defending like a monster. Tatum can either drop 40, but that’s really
difficult because most teams center their defensive scheme around him, but he
can provide in other ways.
The Warriors are
really special. They have two capable point guards, Jordan Poole, and of
course, Curry. They have a great shooter but are showing the casual NBA fans
that he is way more than that. Also, an overlooked player is Andrew Wiggins.
He’s really something. I say that he’s the X-factor for the Warriors, when he’s on, the Warriors win. But not in the same way
as Jayson Tatum. Wiggins will always defend and pass and rebound. But when he’s
scoring, the opposing defense has too many bodies to cover, and they still have
to get to every shooter and box out. This is when the opposing defense breaks
down. Their bench needs a lot of work, though, they have a lot of tired bodies
on the court during every game. Does it matter, though? No, Steph Curry is made
of a different fabric than the rest of us and Kevon Looney just bears down and
grabs rebounds. Draymond Green would do the same thing if he wasn’t getting
243,632,189 fouls every game.
We also learned a few things from these playoffs. We learned
that unfortunately, Jimmy Butler will suffer from back problems over the course
of the offseason and for the rest of his career. Maybe some of you realized his
suffering over the course of the playoffs. I actually did, and I’ll fill in the
guys who didn’t on it. He carried the horrible Miami Heat team on his back throughout the whole playoffs. The
games in which he didn’t play well and the Heat still won are because the other
team was slacking off. I give zero credit to the other players on the Heat
because they did nothing the whole playoffs. They had supplemental players,
like Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry, but Jimmy Buckets brought a new meaning to
carry. One of the most underrated
players in the NBA hands down, I don’t understand how some people think he is
getting washed or was never good.
I also heard some people were saying Devin Booker isn’t good
and that Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton carry him? Obviously, a delusional fan
said that and I hope none of you guys think that. Booker is one of the best
pure scorers in the league. Can he defend? Nope. Can he do anything else but
score? Also nope. That’s what Paul, Ayton, Mikal Bridges, and Jae Crowder are
there for. The Suns are such a
well-constructed team – I don’t know how some 6’7” Slovenian with barely any
help knocked them out of the playoffs. Huh, the Slovenian seems pretty good.
I also see how unfortunate it is for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen
Brown that they might lose to the Warriors
in the Finals. They are a really good duo, and when you throw Marcus Smart in
the mix, they’re exactly where you would expect them to be, in the Finals. The
same goes for the Warriors. The Warriors winning any game is the safest bet in
sports. We’re witnessing a battle of two extraordinarily well-rounded teams
here, with the top 5 players in the NBA at the top for each side.
