The jockeying for playoff place within the NBA stays extremely entertaining.
It’s so fascinating, it jogs my memory of convention tournaments in faculty basketball.
These video games are the perfect — groups placing every thing they’ve into each recreation for concern it is perhaps their final. Or worse but, relegation to the CBI.
Then actuality units in …
Duke 85, Alabama 65.
Auburn 78, Michigan 65.
Florida 87, Maryland 71.
Houston 69, Tennessee 50.
And right here I believed these losers have been good.
Seems, these weren’t nice basketball showcases main into the NCAA Match. Simply aggressive.
What’s that must do with the NBA? The whole lot, really.
The Pacers and Rockets are rolling. The Magic and Warriors out of the blue look robust. The Knicks, Bucks, Lakers, Nuggets …
Nope. I’m not falling for this once more.
The NBA has itself a Duke, an Auburn and a Florida this season. The one factor missing is a Houston — and that’s OK, as a result of they’re kinda boring.
There’s no means — repeat, NO WAY — the Cavaliers and Celtics don’t meet within the Jap Convention finals.
The Cavaliers are Auburn. The dominant team in the regular season, but individuals by no means actually believed in them. However imagine it, individuals. Auburn made the semifinals. The Cavaliers will, too.
The Celtics are Duke. The group individuals wish to root in opposition to as a result of they’re stuffy and easily the most talented. They have already got sufficient banners. And don’t look now, however they need to be the overwhelming favourite to hold one other.
The Thunder are Florida. The out-of-nowhere group that may’t probably have sufficient postseason expertise to go all the way in which. However typically, what you don’t know can’t harm you.
And the remainder of the NBA? They’re Mount St. Mary’s. Man, they have been enjoyable to look at within the convention event. However then the intense lights got here on and the make-up melted.
Can one of many different 13 groups that may make the NBA playoffs pull off the colossal upset? It absolutely received’t occur within the East, the place the six different quarterfinalists might merge rosters and nonetheless lose 4-2 to the Cavaliers and 4-1 to the Celtics within the Jap semis.
There’s just one situation that might derail the Massive Three …
If the Thunder are to be denied their spot within the NBA Finals, right here’s the way it’s going to must occur:
Spherical 1: They get bullied.
Thunder boss Sam Presti has brilliantly molded his roster. Including a bodyguard (Isaiah Hartenstein) for fragile co-star Chet Holmgren was a stroke of genius.
If Holmgren can keep wholesome, the Thunder will make the Finals. A primary-round matchup in opposition to a comfortable group just like the Warriors, Grizzlies or Kings could be best.
However a wrestling match with the Timberwolves could be a catastrophe.
You bear in mind the T’wolves. They slayed the large — the Nuggets — final season and have the depth of huge guys to pound the Thunder up entrance. That’s unhealthy information for Holmgren, who may survive to see Spherical 2, however not with no limp and a number of ice luggage.
Spherical 2: They get LeBronned.
The Thunder don’t have a good matchup for Luka Doncic. Over seven video games, they’ll attempt various things, and may stumble into one thing.
However they may play 70 video games and by no means discover somebody to take care of LeBron at playoff time.
The Lakers are unlikely to go far within the playoffs as a result of they don’t have an enormous man. However in opposition to the Thunder, that might work of their favor.
Holmgren goes to have to protect anyone, and there’s no means that’s going to be LeBron.
Hartenstein goes to have to protect anyone. Take that again. No means the massive oaf sees the sunshine of day on this collection.
Softened up by Minnesota’s huge males, Holmgren will get pummeled by LeBron. Perhaps snapped in two. The Thunder may survive the collection, however not unscathed.
Spherical 3: They draw a joker.
When all of the items are in place, the Nuggets are a greater group than the Thunder.
Nikola Jokic will outperform Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the massive stage.
Jamal Murray is a much better supporting weapon than something Oklahoma Metropolis has.
And the Nuggets have a number of defensive whizzes to throw at SGA.
The Thunder shall be exhausted by the point they attain the skinny air of Denver for Recreation 6. The excellent news: The flight house could have air masks. And with this roster, there’s at all times subsequent yr. Heck, subsequent decade.
How can this occur?
The Timberwolves should fall into the play-ins and end eighth.
The Lakers should drop to fourth or fifth.
And the Nuggets should end second or third.
All nonetheless attainable.
And if the 8-4-3 trifecta hits …
C’mon. Do you actually suppose Florida goes to lose?
