NBA Playoffs
The NBA Finals fires off on Thursday, Friday in the Philippines, with Golden State eagerly waiting to defend its NBA championship against either Toronto or Milwaukee. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals is played today in Toronto with the Raptors a game away from a first-ever NBA Finals appearance for the franchise while the Bucks are determined to force a Game 7 that will be played on their homecourt.
The NBA Playoffs overall, has been “on script” so far, except for a few tweaks and surprises here and there. For starters, the obvious was “obvious.” The Warriors were predicted to win the championship, and here they are sitting pretty on a nine-day break after sweeping Portland in the Western Conference Finals. And they did this without key players Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins. Andre Iguodala also missed a couple of games, but the “next man up” mentality made the Warriors even stronger. While Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green led the team, they also received quality support from the “other” guys like Kevon Looney, Alfonzo McKinnie, Jordan Bell and Quinn Cook. Some people even go out to say that the team is better off without KD. True or False? Can they win the NBA title without KD? Now that’s the million-dollar question, considering that KD is going to be an unrestricted free agent when the season is over.
Toronto or Milwaukee? Either of the two deserve to be in the NBA Finals. They’re both considered as “small town” NBA teams when compared to the big boys (Lakers, Knicks, Warriors, Celtics). For some, having a Canadian team in the NBA Finals is a most welcome sight and this could happen on Kawhi Leonard’s first year with the Raptors. Making the finals will surely have an impact on Kawhi’s decision on where to play next season. Meanwhile, MVP-favorite Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Bucks need to wake up before it’s too late. They’ve lost three in a row for the first time and need to make the necessary adjustments asap.
Superstars without an NBA Championship Ring. I really feel sorry for James Harden, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Paul George. They’re good and talented but might end up with that infamous list of superstars whose careers will be highlighted by a stat that goes: “superstar who never won an NBA championship.” Ouch! Another heartbreaker goes out to the Denver Nuggets, the surprise team that finished second in the West in the regular season. They fell short against Portland but earned the respect of fans and experts. Out in the East, it looks like the Boston Celtics experiment didn’t work this year. With a full and healthy line-up, the Celtics were expected to lead the East with Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford, but what went wrong? Philadelphia was a pleasant surprise and was a second away from going the Eastern Conference Finals. Even if they lost, they had a good, solid season with the development of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris and the mid-season addition of Jimmy Butler to complement JJ Redick as veterans on the team.
Best shot/play: Kawhi Leonard’s buzzer-beating Game 7 shot against Philadelphia is hands-down the most spectacular play of the playoffs so far. Aside from beating the buzzer, how it went in was an added seasoning to the feat. The shot took four (some say five) bounces on the ring before it went through the net. And he did this over the out-stretched arms of Joel Embiid.
Free agency talk. What I don’t like about the playoffs but can’t help acknowledging is all the talk about the unrestricted free agents who’ll be up for “bidding” when the season ends. Up there on the list are Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Klay Thompson, Al Horford and Jimmy Butler. What is it about the letter “K?” I don’t think it’s fair that this should be given attention while the playoffs are ongoing for obvious reasons. Many of them are still playing for their respective teams and the last thing they need are distractions regarding where they could be playing next. But that’s life. I’m pretty sure many of them have already received offers, albeit informal and unofficial ones. With all the money being offered, how can one not be distracted? LeBron James has sent signals that he’d like to team up with Kyrie anew. There’s a lot of talk that KD is headed to New York. And will we see Kawhi move to LA (Clippers, not the Lakers)? And will Klay shine on a team without Steph Curry?
Hapit na gyud! NBA fans worldwide can’t wait for the NBA Finals to start. Golden State or Toronto/Milwaukee?
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