Before I start, let's just say that my prediction of Milwaukee facing OKC in the finals with Milwaukee winning, didn't go well. Damien Lillard's amazing 30 ft shot eliminated the Thunder while the Raptors led by Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, and a stifling defense, eliminated the Bucks in 6 games after falling behind 0-2. So how about we go over this year's Finals matchup between one team with lots of talent in the Golden State Warriors, and the team who made it after firing their head coach and trading away their best player in the Toronto Raptors.
The Golden State Warriors had a season that was less impressive compared to their others. Their home record was the worst among all Western Conference teams with home court, and they looked like they quit in some games. But counting them out isn't exactly the smartest thing to do. Especially when you have not only all stars like Klay Thompson, but generational players like Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. Even if they do complain more than any other NBA team so they could get their way. In the first round against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Warriors flaws at home continued as they went 1-2 at home during the series. In game 2, they blew a 31 point lead - something that would have never happened 2 years ago. But nonetheless, they also showed their skills on the road as they went 3-0 at Staples Center. Durant dropped a career high 50 playoff points in game 6 to move Golden State on the second. The semifinals brought up a rematch against the Houston Rockets dating back to last year's conference finals. Every game in the series was decided in the closing seconds and by the end of game 4, Houston had tied the series at 2. Game 5 saw the Warriors hold off a Rockets rally in the second half to go up 3 games to 2. Houston led for most of game 6, but Golden State kept coming back. Eventually, Thompson, a 33 point second half from Curry, and some questionable officiating, helped Golden State reach the Conference Finals despite Durant missing game 6 due to a calf injury. In the conference finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Warriors surprisingly swept them in 4 games. It wasn't an easy sweep, as the final 3 games were decided by close scores. Lillard was also playing with bad ribs which was a big factor as he didn't look comfortable attempting the winning shot in game 2 even though he was kind of fouled, and missed the winning layup in game 4. Either way, the bottom line was that Warriors like Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green, were well equipped for this stage of playoff basketball, and the Trail Blazers weren't. As they enter this year's finals, they won't be with Durant, as his return is questionable as well as Demarcus Cousins. But the weird thing, is that the Warriors have executed their system a lot more fluently without Durant. Durant has still made the Warriors a better team, but they are obviously an elite team without him. This factor will probably influence his decision in free agency in which I think he'll be wearing orange and blue next season. But for now, it'll be interesting to see if Durant's absence for some of these games will really hurt the Warriors this time. This season saw the Toronto Raptors go through changes. They hired a new coach in Nick Nurse, and traded their best player DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs for another great talent in Kawhi Leonard. These moves paid off. They racked up a number of statement wins en route to a 58 win season. Leonard played at a M.V.P. level, Kyle Lowry remained one of the top floor generals, and Pascal Siakam's play took a major leap this season. Their defense was one of the top defenses in the league, and it only got better when they acquired former Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol at the trade deadline. So when they entered the playoffs, a deep playoff run was expected. In the first round against the Orlando Magic, the Raptors stunningly lost game 1, but recovered to win the next 4 games thanks to Leonard and breakout performances by Siakam. The second round saw a star studded matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers led by Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Jimmy Butler. It proved to be a matchup of heavyweights and there needed to be a game 7 in order to decide this series. Defense ruled as Philadelphia shot 41% while Toronto shot 38%. Despite all of the scorers, only one of them had scored over 25 points. That was Leonard. In fact, he had 39, but he needed one more free throw to make it a 3 point game. He missed it and a Butler layup had tied the game up. Fortunately, Toronto still had time and that was all Leonard needed. He got the ball on the left side far away from the basket. He drove all the way to the right corner and attempted a falling jumper over Embiid. Four bounces, later the Raptors were on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals. This was the first time in this year's playoffs where the Raptors didn't have the home court advantage. They lost it to the Milwaukee Bucks: a team that had won an N.B.A. best 60 games and seemed destined for a championship. For the first 2 games, the Bucks showed why they were the ones to represent the league, as they took a 2-0 series lead. But the Raptors managed to grind out a double overtime victory in game 3 and blew out the Bucks in game 4. Milwaukee got off to a good start in game 5, but Toronto clawed back. In the fourth quarter, back to back Leonard three pointers gave Toronto a 4 point lead. Milwaukee fought back to tie the game, but backup point guard Fred VanVleet and a clutch offensive rebound by Marc Gasol in the final seconds, gave the Raptors a 3-2 series lead. Milwaukee wasn't going down in game 6 without a fight, and it showed as they built a 15 point lead in the third quarter. But Toronto came back and built an eight point lead midway in the fourth quarter. The Bucks did everything to come back, but clutch baskets and offensive rebounds granted the Raptors their first finals appearance in franchise history. Leonard's health is a question, but he seemed fine as he posterized MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo in game 6. His finals experience which saw him win MVP in his second appearance in 2014, gives the Raptors a major boost. The only other players with experience on the Raptors, are power forward Serge Ibaka who played on the 2012 Thunder, and Danny Green who played with Leonard in the Spurs' last 2 Finals appearances. But Toronto is carrying a lot of momentum and confidence and sometimes, all of that can be the difference. In what has been another N.B.A. season filled with lots of headlines, highlights, lowlights, and goodbyes to legends, 2 teams now remain standing. One team is now in the finals for the 5th straight year. With all the talent and great coaching they have, a three peat is in sight. The other team brought in a new coach and traded for an All NBA player after failing to make the Finals after 5 years with the same core. Their culture changed and they are now competing for a championship for the first time in franchise history. Those 2 teams are the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors. My prediction? Raptors 4 Warriors 3 It has been a rough season for Carmelo Anthony. Despite accepting a role on the bench with the Houston Rockets, his tenure in the lone star state was still one to forget. On offense, his playstyle of midrange shots wasn't a good fit for Houston. On defense, opponents attacked him on pick and rolls which is a common strategy that teams use against unskilled defenders like Anthony. In November, the Rockets released him. Despite almost signing with the Lakers, he went the rest of the season without a NBA team. A shame for one of the best players of his generation.
So why am I saying that Carmelo Anthony is one of the best players of his generation? Because Anthony was truly an awesome player to watch. Let's start with his abilities. For his entire career, Anthony's game hasn't been flashy. His moves are very basic. He would attack the rim with a simple drive to the basket off a dribble hesitation, a rip and go move, pump fake, or spin move in the post. His jump shot comes from a pull up off the dribble, a hesitation from three, pump fake, turnaround, or in transition. But his deadliest move, is the jab step. To explain it, let's go through through a simulation of 3 possessions. On the first possession, Carmelo gives you a jab step. It has you thinking about whether he'll shoot it or drive. He then drives to the basket with ease and scores. On the second possession, Carmelo gives you a jab step. You immediately think that he's going to drive to the basket and you move with him towards the basket. The only problem, is that he's still in the same spot with the ball and you can only watch him make another basket. On the third possession, Carmelo gives one jab step. You're not hesitant at all. He gives you another jab step. You back up. A third jab step now makes you think that he's going to shoot. Then with a simple pump fake, you go flying by and then it's just a matter of whether he scores on a jump shot or at the basket. So there you go. At least 25 points coming from 12 simple moves. What has been his accomplishments from those 12 moves? A career total of over 25,000 points, an average of 24 points both in the regular season and playoffs, 14 straight seasons where he averaged 20 or more points, and the 2012-2013 scoring title. What has been overshadowed in his career, is his impact. Yes his PER and win shares isn't high, but that shouldn't overshadow the impact that he had on the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks. In his first year with the Nuggets, he elevated them from a 17 win team, to a playoff team. For the next 4 seasons, Denver was a playoff team with Anthony improving his game. The only problem was that they kept losing. In 3 of those 5 seasons they lost to the finals participant of the West in the Spurs (2005 and 2007) and Lakers (2008). Then things changed in 2009. With a midseason acquisition of floor general Chauncey Billups and the athletic big man duo of Kenyon Martin and Nene Hilario, the Nuggets won 54 games and clinched the second spot in the Western Conference with Anthony leading the way averaging 23 points and 6 rebounds. They met a Hornets team led by Chris Paul who had won 49 games. But in what was supposed to be an exciting series, turned into a cakewalk for the Nuggets who won in 5 games which included winning the final 2 games by scores of 58 and 21. Their next series against the Dallas Mavericks, saw Melo hit a game winner in game 3 in what was another easy 5 game series for Denver. Despite giving Kobe Bryant and the heavily favored Lakers everything they had in the Conference Finals, they were too much for Nuggets as they won in 6 games. The 2009-2010 season once again saw the Nuggets as one of the top teams in the West. Melo was amazing, averaging 25 points. In one game, he hit a game winner over LeBron James in a marquee game against the Cavaliers. But they went back to their first round woes, losing to the Utah Jazz in 5 games. What happened in the offseason, got the entire NBA watching. In July of 2010, LeBron James signed with the Miami Heat to join all stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Another close friend of Anthony in Amare Stoudemire signed with the Knicks. Later in that summer, LeBron called a toast advising that Carmelo and Paul join Stoudemire in New York to form a big three of their own if they wanted to beat the Heat. That got Melo thinking. With one year left on his contract, he could either go to New York in free agency or force a trade since Denver would probably want to get something out of him if he leaves. But with the collective bargaining agreement expiring, a lockout was likely to happen. Therefore, if Melo would want to be on a team during the lockout, he would have to force a trade to the Knicks which was his prime destination. But through the first 50 games, he grew unhappier since no trade was happening even though he was still balling out with the Nuggets. On February 22, 2011 Paul remained on the Hornets, but `Melo was traded to the Knicks. Technically, this was a homecoming for Melo because he lived the first 8 years of his life in Brooklyn before moving to Baltimore. So when he walked out the tunnel for his first game as a Knick, the crowd was probably the loudest since Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing got his number retired. Melo didn't disappoint either, scoring 28 points in his first game which was a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The Knicks would be inconsistent in the second half of the season, but still made the playoffs: the first time they made it in 7 seasons. They would however lose to the Boston Celtics in 4 games. The Knicks got off to slow start the next season since most players were out of shape with the NBA strike happening for the first 16 games. Fortunately they improved and by the time the season ended, the Knicks were one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Anthony was playing amazing basketball in April, averaging just under 30 points a game. His best game in not just his Knicks career, but his entire career, came in that season against the Chicago Bulls. The Knicks started off strong, but the Bulls who were the #1 seed that year, rallied to take what seemed to be a commanding lead. Then Melo hit a three pointer to send the game into overtime. Once again, the Bulls looked like they were going to escape with a victory. But Anthony had other plans. With the clock running down as well as the Knicks' playoff hopes, he hit a spectacular shot with Luol Deng's hand right in his face. The Knicks won the game and made the playoffs where they faced the Miami Heat. They lost the series, but they managed to break their streak of 13 straight playoff losses thanks to a 41 point performance by Melo in game 4. 2012-2013 was arguably the best season in Carmelo's career. The Knicks won 54 games and their division with Melo serving as the catalyst. He averaged 28 points which won him the scoring title and helped the Knicks win 13 straight games. In the playoffs against Boston, Anthony averaged 29 points and led the Knicks to victory in 6 games: their first playoff series win since 2000. But all of the happiness ended in the second round against the Indiana Pacers. The next 4 seasons had bright moments which included Melo scoring a career high and franchise record 62 points, reaching 20,000 points, and hitting many clutch shots and game winners. But he was playing those seasons with a terrible supporting cast which included playing with the likes of Andre Bargnani, Jose Calderon, and Joakim Nosh amongst others. The coaches and the front office didn't help either, as they served as distractions to the team. All of these factors caused the Knicks to miss the playoffs in all of those seasons. Then Carmelo was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder one month before the 2017-2018 season. He spent his only season in Oklahoma City as the third option behind Russell Westbrook and Paul George, averaging a solid 16 points and 5 rebounds. But the more was needed out of him. Especially in the playoffs against the Jazz where the Thunder couldn't afford to put him in during the final 3 games. In July, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks before agreeing to a buyout where he was put on waivers. He agreed to a one year contract at the veteran minimum with the Houston Rockets. His season wasn't a success and even though he accepted whatever role Houston gave him, it wasn't enough to save him. He was released after only 12 games. So that leads us to now. It's hard to believe that a player who has scored over 25,000 points with some of the most basic moves and turn teams from laughingstocks into playoff teams, wouldn't be on a roster. While some think he is someone that can only score, but not win, they are forgetting how great he truly was. As a huge Knicks fan, Carmelo is still my favorite player on that team and I think he had a good tenure in the Big Apple. When he retires, his ability to score and win should be the first thing that comes to mind when you say the name Carmelo Anthony. On April 10th, 2 NBA legends retired having left behind amazing legacies. Those legends would be shooting guard Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat, and power forward Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks. They've had great careers that isn't always seen on a yearly basis amongst NBA players.
Dwyane Wade was selected no. 5 by the Miami Heat in the legendary 2003 draft class. It didn't take long for him to make an impact with them. He helped them overcome an 0-7 start and reach the NBA Playoffs where they made it to the second round. At the ESPYWade said, "Coming out of that playoffs, I was like, 'Next year is going to be something.'" Wade was right because not only did he up his game, but Miami traded for future Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers. They posted 59 wins, but lost to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. Next season, coach Stan Van Gundy stepped down and legendary coach Pat Riley who was serving as an executive, became head coach. The Heat got it together and made the NBA Finals where they faced Nowitzki's Dallas Mavericks. After falling behind 0-2, Wade historically put the team on his back winning the next 4 games and his first NBA championship. His averages of 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists won him Finals MVP. His quickness and explosiveness which had earned him the nickname "Flash", made him special and it was easy to notice. One quality that wasn't obvious, but made him more special, was his durability. In the final 4 games, Wade played over 40 minutes. Even in his final season, Wade was giving everything he had for a Heat team that played very inconsistent basketball. Unfortunately, his durability wasn't able to overcome injury-riddled 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons. Yet that didn't stop Wade from putting career years for the next 2 seasons. Wade had some of his most memorable moments featuring winning the scoring title in 2009, proclaiming AmericanAirlines Arena as "my house", after a buzzer beater against the Bulls, or posterizing center Anderson Varejao. When he wasn't doing that, he was breaking ankles, posterizing other big men, or swatting centers. And yet both seasons ended in first round exits. Enter LeBron James and Chris Bosh. In the summer of 2010, the Heat signed the 2 stars while resigning Wade forming a big three. Wade actually signed for less money so the Heat could keep power forward/center Udonis Haslam. After losing to the Mavericks in year 1, Miami reeled off 2 straight championships. Even though LeBron won Finals MVP in both victories, the durability of Wade provided lots of help to those 2 championships. Unlike 2006, Wade battled through nagging knee injuries particularly in their final championship against the Spurs in 2013 where he scored 23 points in a grueling game 7. In the long run, it put a major dent into his explosiveness. It showed in 2014 as the Heat were outplayed in a rematch with the Spurs. LeBron would later return to the Cavaliers for a second stint while major injuries to Bosh would eventually force him to retire. Two seasons later, Wade would bolt to his hometown of Chicago to play for the Bulls. Even though he helped them reach the playoffs, a contract buyout would lead him to the Cavs where he reunited with LeBron. He didn't even complete a full season in the land because he was heading back to South Beach. Not only was it a great reunion, but Wade led the Heat back into the postseason. Unfortunately, that didn't stop Wade from announcing that he'll retire after next season. But he still showed that he had lots left in the tank which made it a memorable final season. With battered knees, he still made people witness the greatness that was happening during his retirement tour. With opposing fans chanting his name and jersey swaps with opponents aside, moments like his amazing buzzer beater against the Warriors in which like 2009, he said that this arena is "my house". In his final home game, he dropped 30 points and in the final game of his career, he recorded a triple double. A beautiful curtain call. Wade perfectly summed up the glory that came in his NBA career by saying, "I wanted to give [my fans] a full year, a full picture of my career. I wanted to say goodbye to everybody as much as I can, and I wanted to say thank you. I could play another year. But for me, it’s time. No one really gets to walk away from the game at the perfect time. No one’s ending is perfect. I have more left, but I don’t want to empty it all out. The passion and joy is not the same it used to be. My mind’s not 100% in it. And when it got to that point, it was time for me to walk away. I’ve given everything to this game." In the 72 years of the NBA, there will never be another Dwyane Wade. Dirk Nowitzki had a much different story. He grew up playing basketball overseas in Germany, but didn't have the same hype going into the 1998 draft unlike other players such as Paul Pierce and Vince Carter. Nonetheless the Milwaukee Bucks chose to select him at 9th. Head coach and general manager Don Nelson of the Mavericks was confident in Nowitzki's ability to successfully adapt to the NBA, so he traded for him. The rest is history. In just 6 seasons, Nowitzki was one of the marquee players of the NBA. At 7 feet, his ability to shoot 3 pointers and drive to the basket by putting the ball on the floor was something entirely new to the game. This play style was a perfect fit for Nelson's system which was called "Nellie Ball" dating back to his days in Milwaukee. It also helped the Mavericks emerge as a contender in a conference that already had powerhouses in the Spurs and Lakers. Unfortunately, by the time the playoffs came, this play style was not fit to win a championship. Throughout the Nelson and Nowitzki era, the closest the Mavs came to a championship was in the 2003 conference finals against the Spurs where an injury to Nowitzki in game 3 ruined their chances of making the NBA Finals. In 2005, Nelson stepped down despite the Mavericks having a 43-22 record. Avery Johnson took over and they would watch former point guard Steve Nash eliminate them. The next season started a new era in Dallas since it was the first full year with Johnson at the helm. The season was a huge success as the Mavericks won 60 games. They even got over the hump against the Spurs in the semifinals. In the 7th game, Nowitzki countered Tim Duncan's 41 points and 15 rebounds with 37 points and 15 rebounds along with a clutch 3 point play to force overtime. There wasn't any revenge for Steve Nash, who could only watch his former team reach the Finals to play the Miami Heat. The Mavericks stormed out to a 2-0 lead and appeared to be on their way to their first NBA championship. Then with bad officiating and Dwyane Wade, the Mavericks lost the final 4 games in excruciating fashion. Nowitzki and owner Mark Cuban ripped the referees to their horrid officiating which saw Wade shoot an outrageous 97 free throws. But any grudge about the defeat in 2007 wasn't seen. The Mavericks won a franchise record 67 games and Nowitzki won MVP while averaging 25 and 9 while shooting 50, 40, and 90 from the field. The only problem was that he was named MVP after losing to Nelson's Warriors who were only 2 games over .500. A coaching change win 2008 and more playoff disappointment followed for the next 3 seasons. It was looking more likely that Nowitzki would never win the big game. Then came the 2010-2011 season. The Mavericks won a surprising 57 games and Nowitzki wasn't showing any signs of age. That didn't stop the experts from listing them as underdogs in their first round matchup against the 6th seeded Portland Trail Blazers. The Mavericks won the first 2 games, but lost the next 2 which saw them blow a 23 point lead in game 4. They put any doubts to rest however by winning the next 2 games. Up next, the 2 time defending champion L.A. Lakers. All it took was 4 games for the Mavericks to win in what was a shocking sweep. Their final test in the west was the Oklahoma City Thunder who's young core featured Kevin Durant, Russel Westbrook, and James Harden. Yes, this was the NBA back then. Instead of seeing 2 big threes in Miami and OKC clash, Nowitzki had enough of the hype surrounding other teams. He went off in the 5 games played, averaging 32 points while shooting a whooping 55%! When asked about him after game 1, Thunder coach Scott Brooks said, "I thought Dirk was pretty good tonight. I thought we defended him as close as we can -- obviously, too close. He's a bulldog down low. He's so crafty clever and he has so many awkward shots that go in. There are some shots he made tonight that are undefendable. He's been doing it for a lot of years against a lot of great players. He had a good rhythm. He got off to a good start. He was making shots and then we were fouling his jump shots and he's a terrific jump-shooter." He also told power forward Serge Ibaka to not get down if he gets caught in a blizzard of one legged fadeaway from Dirk. The only problem according to him was, "I didn't think he was going to make as many shots." The final test, was a rematch with the star studded Miami Heat. This was the final chance for Dirk to win that long awaited championship. 11 years of postseason failure (he didn't make the playoffs in his first 2 seasons) have come full circle. There was no way the Mavericks could afford to lose another series with it likely being their last chance at a title. And yet the Heat's star power looked like it was too much. They won game 1 and they built a 15 point lead in game 2 with 7:13 left. Then something amazing happened. The Mavericks began to chip away at the deficit. And when it was 86-90, Dirk decided to put this game away himself. He did so with a jumper to make it a 2 point game, a layup to tie it, and a 3 pointer to take the lead with 26 seconds left. But the Heat weren't done yet, as a Mario Chalmers 3 pointer tied the game. But Nowitzki had enough. He tried to drive right on Chris Bosh, turned around, changed his dribble from right to left, hesitated, drove, ballgame. Miami did win game 3 to take a 2-1 lead and it didn't look any better in game 4, as Nowitzki was battling a fever and a horrid start to the game. But he kept shooting and like game 2, the Mavericks were back in the game. Only that when Dirk had the ball in the closing moments, they were winning by one. And with one simple rip and go to the basket, the Mavericks had all but tied the series. 29 points from Nowitzki and a clutch 3 by guard Jason Terry propelled them to a 3-2 series lead. One game from ending all heartbreak. Throughout game 6, the Mavericks led, but they needed one more shot to put away the game. Nowitzki would answer the call with a fadeaway to end any hope that Miami had. Nowitzki and the Mavericks were finally champions. The Finals MVP was undoubtedly Nowitzki, the guy who had fully transformed a team that was once a laughingstock into a winner. Nowitzki's Mavericks still remained a playoff team, but the championship clearly showed that if he had never won had he lost a second time to Miami. There were still years where his greatness was on full display, such as in 2016, where Nowitzki led an heavily aging squad into the playoffs averaging 18 points. In 2017, he recorded the milestone of 30,000 points with his trademark one legged fadeaway. The last 2 years saw the Mavericks enter a rebuilding phrase even though it's going to be short with the drafting of Luka Dončić and the acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis. This hasn't stopped Dirk from showing the talent that he still has. Sadly, there was a ton of speculation that he would retire - but he didn't say so until after his final home game where he scored 30 points in a Mavericks win. He addressed the fans by saying, "As you might expect, this was my last home game." His message was that, "This is obviously super, super emotional. Just too many people to really thank. I put you guys on a helluva ride with a lot of ups and downs, and you guys always stuck with me and supported me, so I appreciate it." To see a guy have as good a career as anyone can have was truly special. Then to see a guy like Nowitzki tackle every doubt that was made about him over time is even more special. There are other players that have games strongly related to Nowitzki's, but there will never 100% be another Dirk Nowitzki. Two players. Two players who have brought so much greatness to the game of basketball. Dirk and Dwyane might've been different kinds of players regarding their style of play, but they both brought lots of greatness to the game in a way that hasn't always been seen in the NBA. For that, they have earned their place amongst the NBA's greatest players of all time. It's finally that time of year again. In what has been a year full of teams that have greatly underachieved or have been surprising, 16 of them will have their season last for another season. That season is the NBA Playoffs. So looking towards another interesting playoffs, lets go over the field of teams who made it to the second season.
Eastern Conference: #1: Milwaukee Bucks - Thanks to career years from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kris Middleton, and Eric Bledsoe as well as Brook Lopez and Malcolm Brogdon filling in as hole pluggers, the Bucks won 60 games. Coach Mike Budenholzer now has a real team to coach now that he isn't with the Hawks anymore and he's been taking advantage of the roster he has. With the best point differential in the league, a championship is likely for the Bucks. 2#: Toronto Raptors - Kawhi Leonard has officially regained his all star form that he had before he got hurt. With the help of a solid supporting cast of Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, and Pascal Siakam, along with an impressive job at the helm with first year coach Nick Nurse, it wouldn't be crazy to list the Raptors as NBA champions. 3#: Philadelphia 76ers - While this team in my opinion isn't good enough to win a title, they are good enough to make the Finals. They have arguably the talentest starting five in the league, all of them averaging above 15 points per game. As long as they don't play down to their competition, the process may be complete. 4#: Boston Celtics - Despite having the best overall roster in the league, this team can't seem to put the pieces together. Kyrie Irving has constantly seemed to indicate that he's leaving Boston which has been putting a dark cloud at some points in the season. If this team makes a deep playoff run however, it won't be surprising because all of their players were either on their playoff run last year, or were on a playoff run elsewhere. 5#: Indiana Pacers - They don't have the talent for a deep playoff run in all star shooting guard Victor Oladipo, but this season can easily be considered a success for the Pacers. Small forward Bojan Bogdanovic and center Myles Turner have led the Pacers to 48 wins. Beating teams without your best player is hard, but considering that Indiana was able to make it through most of the second half of the season without Oladipo, anything is possible for them. 6#: Brooklyn Nets - Listing this team as a playoff team 2 years ago sounds crazy, but hear we are. Their point guard D'angelo Russell has been playing arguably the best basketball of his career, averaging 21 points and 7 assists. His supporting cast is led by backup point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, big man Jarrett Allen, and sharpshooter Joe Harris. While a deep playoff run seems unlikely, this is definitely a foundation to build into the future. 7#: Orlando Magic - When they last made the playoffs, Zion Williamson was 11 years old! But here they are. Led by all star Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon the Magic played great basketball in the second half and won their division despite finishing 7th in the East. It'll be interesting to see if their road to the playoffs will be a fluke, or if they'll build off this season. 8#: Detroit Pistons - After falling apart in the second half of this season, the Pistons didn't repeat this year. With power forward Blake Griffin enjoying one of his best seasons, along with Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson, and the coaching of Dwane Casey, the Pistons had a strong second half of the season. It won't be a surprise however if this team comes in battered considering that they went through a tough schedule starting midway through March. Or a rest could be what they needed. Western Conference: 1#: Golden State Warriors - This team has all of the resources that can win them a NBA Finals. They have one of the best starting fives in NBA history and an A+ coaching staff. But it's still hard to guarantee an NBA championship. They have the worst home record out of all of the teams in the west with home court advantage for at least one round. They also don't seem to be playing with joy, highlighted by Kevin Durant who will be a free agent. It's still hard to not have them as champions. 2#: Denver Nuggets - This team is one of the most formidable and talented teams in the NBA. The core of this team is Nikola Jokic. His ability to score, rebound, and pass is turning him into a generational player. Coach Michael Malone has emerged as one of the league's top coaches. Thanks to him, other players such as Jamal Murray and Gary Harris have developed key roles which have led to a 54 win season. The only question, is their experience, but this team is in good hands for now and the future. 3#: Portland Trail Blazers - I just don't know if this team can make up a deep playoff run. Damian Lillard has been continuing to ball out while C.J. McCollum has been getting a whole lot better. While they did add some serviceable depth in Enes Kanter, this team will have to come together and not back down from other teams who are probably better than them on paper unlikely last year's defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans. 4#: Houston Rockets - This has honestly been an interesting team. From tip-off to mid December, they were really looking disappointing. Then James Harden just didn’t care anymore. He scored 30 or more points in 32 straight games as well as 2 60 point games. Chris Paul despite being injured for most of the year has still shown why he’s one of the best point guards. As long as Harden balls out and this team is healthy, they could definitely win the finals. 5#: Utah Jazz - Like Houston, they also slumped up until mid December. Then, point guard Donavan Mitchell balled out in the later stretch just like last year. Center Rudy Gobert has been averaging career highs in points and rebounds while still being the best rim protector in the game. It wouldn’t be crazy to predict a deep playoff run with the talent and experience that this team has. 6#: Oklahoma City Thunder - Out of all the teams with the best shot at a deep playoff run despite no home court advantage for at least one round, it would be the Thunder. With Russel Westbrook and Paul George playing out of their minds along with a strong supporting cast led by Steven Adams, the Thunder despite winning only 49 games have looked like they’ve found their way. It’ll be intriguing to see if they’ll flop, or make a deep playoff run. 7#: San Antonio Spurs - I think that this team was dealing with a lot of distractions last year with Kawhi Leonard, but I think they will now be able to focus on basketball. Gregg Popovich hasn’t aged at all and he’s still one of the best coaches in the game. Led by Demar Derozan and Lamarcus Alderige, the Spurs won 48 games. A deep playoff run isn’t out of sight. 8#: Los Angeles Clippers - Once looked at as a team that was in the middle of nowhere, is now in the playoffs unlike the other team in L.A. They have a solid core led by Lou Williams and coach Doc Rivers after seeming like he lost his touch in coaching has regained his form this year. While a deep playoff run seeming unlikely, they can attract a marquee free agent this summer which could spark deep playoff runs in the future. Results: Bucks 4 Pistons 1 Bucks 4 Celtics 1 Celtics 4 Pacers 2 Bucks 4 Raptors 3 Raptors 4 Magic 1 Raptors 4 76ers 3 76ers 4 Nets 2 Bucks 4 Thunder 2 Warriors 4 Clippers 2 Rockets 4 Warriors 3 Rockets 4 Jazz 3 Thunder 4 Rockets 2 Nuggets 4 Spurs 3 Thunder 4 Nuggets 2 Thunder 4 Trail Blazers 3 There are a lot of NBA teams that are looking like Eastern Conference Champions. The Toronto Raptors, thanks to Kwahi Leonard and a strong offense and defense, have been dominating the Atlantic Division which has 3 other potential playoff teams. The Philadelphia 76ers are not far behind, as they have arguably the most talented starting 5, with all of them scoring more than 16 points per game. The Boston Celtics have been struggling, but it's not right to count them out considering the success they had in last year's playoffs: getting within one win of the NBA Finals (despite not having Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward). As for your NBA champion, the Golden State Warriors are still a threat with one of the best starting fives in NBA history. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been dominating since the end of January thanks to the best all around duo in the NBA which is Paul George and Russell Westbrook. It's never safe to count out the Los Angeles Lakers who, despite slumping, still have the greatest player ever in LeBron James and a young core that can turn it up when they want to. But there's one team who truly could be Eastern Conference (and possibly NBA) Champions and that is the Milwaukee Bucks.
Throughout this season the Bucks have dominated. They have a well balanced group of players and coaches. Their player stats and team stats are everything you want to see out of a winning team. They've had lots of wins over the course of this season that have made them invincible. In fact, they locked up a playoff berth yesterday despite 20 games still remaining on their schedule. But it's more than that. Their players have progressed wildly while others despite maybe not being as good as they were before in their careers have been hole pluggers to this team. Giannis Antetokounmpo (pictured above) has been having a career season. His current averages per game are 26 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal. He's currently number 1 in win shares, win shares per 48 minutes, defensive win shares, and defensive rating. His overall play has been amazing. In December, he said, "All I know is how to work. Working hard gives me confidence, so when I feel like I'm not working hard, it takes away from my confidence. Working hard is not just about getting better, but it gives you a lot of confidence. When you go out there and compete, it's knowing you've done the work that gives you the confidence." This has also been the case for wingman Kris Middleton. Middleton was always recognized as a solid player. Last year, he averaged 20 points. It was this year however, when despite his scoring average only dropping by 3, he has been more efficient. His reward was his first career all-star appearance. Point guard Eric Bledsoe has averaging 15 points and 5 assists a game, good enough for him to earn a 4 year 70 million contract extension. Veteran big man Brook Lopez and Nikola Mirotic have emerged as floor stretchers who can shoot threes and create passing lanes for Giannis and co. Malcom Brogden has been rebounding from a disappointing sophomore season and is having arguably a better season than two years ago where he won Rookie of the Year. This core group of players along with other solid role players have been healthy and well balanced throughout the entire season. Their team stats show how well balanced they are. They're averaging 117 points on offense which is good enough for 3rd in the NBA and 108 points allowed which is 9th in the NBA. They're averaging 26 assists which is good enough for 6th in the NBA. So I think you already have the idea. This team is the most balanced team in the NBA. Coach Mike Budenholzer has been responsible for all the team accomplishments. His reward was being one of the two head coaches of the all star game. His first year with the Bucks has been the same story as his first season with the Atlanta Hawks back in 2014-2015 where they won 60 games and made the Eastern Conference Finals. Management wasn't able to keep their core players and it eventually led to his downfall in Atlanta. Fortunately with the Bucks, with the extension of Bledsoe, the players who they have to resign are Middleton, Lopez, Mirotic, Brogden, and Trevon Duval. Most of those players will probably resign based on the fact that they have been thriving in their roles with the team, so there shouldn't be much concern in that category which should set up Budenholzer to be the Bucks' coach in the years to come. They've had a number of statement wins from October to basically now. It started against the Philadelphia 76ers at home. The last time these two teams played each other the 76ers won by 35 points. The next game was a different story, as the Bucks won by 15. Two weeks later, they beat the Warriors on the road. In December they beat the Celtics in Boston for the first time in 6 matchups (including last year's playoff series where they lost in seven games and all of their losses were in Boston). In January, they beat the Houston Rockets in Houston, but the real statement win that month was against the Raptors in Toronto. No player on the Bucks scored more than 19 points and they held Kwahi Leonard to 7/20 shooting with 16 points. A week later, their offense racked up a ridiculous season high 148 points against the Washington Wizards at home who have been inconsistent this season, but are still a potential first round playoff opponent. Just to prove that beating Boston wasn't a fluke, they won again two weeks later. That brings us to about now where, the Bucks, not the Warriors, Raptors, 76ers, Thunder, Rockets, Celtics, or Lakers, became the first team in the NBA to clinch a playoff berth which was in L.A. against the Lakers in the first of what should be the first of many matchups between Giannis and LeBron (they played earlier, but LeBron couldn't play due to an injury). All of these wins are games where they might've not won last year, but this year's team is different in many ways compared to last year's team, which won 44 games and finished 7th in the East. It'll be interesting to see how the Bucks will fare in this year's NBA Playoffs. Yesterday was a day that lots of Knicks fans will remember. It will either be remembered for positive or negative reasons. What happened was that the Knicks traded their promising star Kristaps Porizingis to the Dallas Mavericks along with Tim Hardway Jr., Courtney Lee, and Trey Burke. The Knicks in return, got DeAndre Jordan, Dennis Smith Jr., and Wesley Matthews. To a good amount of Knicks fans, it was a devastating blow for them to see Porzingis who was an all star last season, averaging 22 points before tearing his A.C.L. on February 6. He then expressed displeasure about the direction that the team was heading this year, with a 10-40 record, despite a bright long term future. The future free agent was traded shortly afterward. He thanked the city of New York on his Twitter and Instagram account. However, there is now a bright spot. With the trade, the Knicks know have over 70 million in cap space. Good enough to land 2 max contract superstars in free agency. This year's free agency features star players Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker, and much more players. They also have a shot at getting who some consider to be the next LeBron James: small forward Zion Williamson out of Duke. They have already had a successful draft class in promising forward Kevin Knox, a pogo-stick center in Mitchell Robinson, and scoring guard Alonzo Trier who was undrafted. The factor that also makes another successful draft class possible, is the fact that there is lots of trust in the Knicks management. As for free agency, they've been rumored to be Kyrie Irving's next team since he asked to be traded in 2017 when he was on the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he eventually got shipped to Boston. The rumors started to swirl up again when reports stated that he wasn't happy on the Celtics. Despite publicly saying that he will resign with the Celtics this preseason, last month was a whirlwind that only focused by Irving wanting out. Before the season, the Knicks had a 47% chance compared to the 44% that Boston had. After his comments, it now seems more likely than ever unless something else happens. Durant's rumors started before this NBA season, as rumors said that he was unhappy in Golden State. His brother, Tony Durant, commented on his Instagram post after opening day, "yessir brother!!!! Filling the hand up before we get outta here." He was referring to Golden State. Durant's body language has also seemed to indicate that he wants out. In some games, he played very well but didn't win, such as in Toronto where he put up 51 points, but was outwitted by Leonard in a loss. He has also constantly declined to talk about free agency. New York has also been the favorites to land him. So for Knicks fans, 2018-19 may have been a lost season regarding their record, but they've already seen growth from most of their young players. Thanks to their entire draft class last year which has stirred up positivity, they are likely to have another successful all around draft class, They will be able to use their cap space to get from one to two marquee free agents. So with that, Knicks fans who have seen them miss the playoffs 14 times since 2001, this off season should and probably will change all of that. |
Date Published
May 2024
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