- There are four great, competing stories at the moment. Let's start with the most, on its face, NBA-esque, the Clippers. It's so easy to remember this is supposed to be a Superteam. Until they quite memorable fell on their face last year after going up 3-1, they were many experts pick as the champions in waiting, due to their superior wing play, great depth, and the like. Well, 3-1 jokes and Playoff P jokes aside, they still have all those things, and are now finally in the Conference Finals after maybe the greatest single half barrage of offense the league has ever seen. Let's just celebrate the fact they didn't crumble after last offseason, didn't crumble after going down 2-0 to the Mavs, or down 3-2, or 2-0 to the Jazz
- Speaking of not crumbling, my word the Bucks last series was a roller coaster. It was the opposite of their 2019 loss to the Raptors, this time getting rolled twice, squeaking out a game 3 they had little business winning, and then just hanging in there. We can say that those Raptors swept the last four, while these Bucks needed OT in Game 7, but if not for a truly legendary KD performance in Game 5 they win four straight. Yes, we can point out the obvious fact the Nets were less than their best, but its fine accepting the Nets at full strength are probably the best team in the league while also crediting the Bucks.
- On to the Bucks, let's not lose sight of while Durant was putting together something of his masterpiece, Giannis averaged 36 or something over those last five games, all efficiently as well. Yes, the FT issues are stark, but he shot a respectable 60% on them over that stretch. In game 7, KD was truly peerless with 48 points and that bonkers shot to tie the game, but Giannis quietly, I guess, had 40-13-8. He's every bit the monster we always thought.
- I don't really know what to say about the Hawks other than this being one of the coolest most unexpected runs in a long time, something like the 2013 Warriors maybe, the one that was Steph's real breakout, except this one is somehow going. Their play in Game 4-5 coming back from huge deficits, was insane. Trae Young is not Steph, no one is, but he isn't far off. The team is deep, is fun, has an insane swagger that was at first unearned but now very much so. I can't wait to see how they try to combat a Bucks team they match up pretty terribly with.
- For the Suns, it is unexpected if you go a year back, right before the bubble started where they went 8-0. It's not unexpected when you take a look at the season, the 2nd best record in the league, the brilliant play of most of their team, and the fact that despite Chris Paul's first injury and now COVID absence they're the healthiest team left. They are incredible, play beautiful basketball, and are led by one of the best, and super well fit, tandems in the league in Ayton and of course Booker. To me, they're the favorite in teh West.
- This will go into a few of the teams eliminated (some long so) but the best part of this playoffs has been seeing these young supernovas just be blazing hot day after day. A few of them in Trae Young and Devin Booker (and no one has more swagger than either one of those two) are still playing, but let's pour one out for Donovan Mitchell, for Ja Morant, for Damian Lillard (who's Game 5 against Denver is still my favorite performance), for Luka Doncic and of course for our MVP Nikola Jokic.
- But you know who certainly was not such a player, good ol Ben Simmons. I mean what the fuck? I know he's a lot better than the shell we saw in this series offensively, but him passing up an easy dunk late in the loss to Atlanta is a stunning moment. It probably is the last moment of him in Philadelphia. I have no idea what type of package he gets, lets alone deserves, but he can't return after that
- Similarly the Jazz are in a tough spot. They're a great team that got exposed for not being able to adjust to the Clippers going small. The loss in Game 5 was inexcusable, at home against a team missing its best player. That was when they lost the series. I'm still not sure what happened in Game 6, that comeback happening deep in the throes of me and a buddy at a bar, but they did have a 75-50 lead before one of the more insane stretches of shooting this league has ever seen. They have little choice but to run it back, but you have to feel they lost their best chance at a title
- A few months back I wrote how great the NBA season was but how I was afraid that the league's overall propensity for threes could lead to a lot of blowouts. I'm very happy to say that has not been the case, with if anything the great number of threes allowing for more huge comebacks, like of course the Clippers one. We've had a few blowouts sure, but most have been because one team got too cold.
- Finally, I'm so happy how damn tense these last few games have been, how tense most of the playoffs have been. The games have been slower, better, more caring defense has been played. From the start of the playoffs with the Lakers/Warriors play-in game, the level of intensity has been ridiculous, only helped by fans back in teh building. We really are in the best of times in the NBA, made even better with more care on defense. Long live these crazy, unexpected, incredible playoffs.
