THE National Basketball Association (NBA) Playoffs are roaring away everyday. Sometimes we catch them at full fight in the daytime. Other times they happen when visions of sugarplums are dancing in our heads.
Awake or asleep, this we know. The pandemic has changed a lot of things, and as we navigate the path of life as if walking on eggshells, we enjoy a vastly unfamiliar NBA Playoffs with new heroes and new contenders with the same old dreams.
What have we observed about the NBA Playoffs so far? Well…
1. Bubble trouble
Is it true that by going deep into the bubble for the 2020 Eastern and Western Conference Finals the teams who performed best suffered debilitating results? If we are to look at where the top teams then—the Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets—are now, hmm. Looks like there’s some truth to it. Miami, Boston and LA are all out of the playoffs with all three taking big hits on their key personnel. No big major injury for Miami, but Jimmy Butler is not as shiny this season as he was last year. Boston lost Very Important Player Jaylen Brown to a season-ending injury, as did the Nuggets’ lose Jamal Murray. The Lakers’ zing was stymied by mid-season injuries to both LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and though both came back, AD suffered a double whammy of a hyperextended knee and a groin injury in the playoffs. So they’re gone. The Nuggets are still panning gold out there, but hey, think of how much better they could be with Jamal Murray in the mix.
2. No superstars, hello new stars
We’ve gotten used to seeing LeBron James and Steph Curry flying, streaking and performing magic tricks during the playoffs and beyond. From Miami to Cleveland to LA, The King has been bringing his show. LBJ was in almost every NBA Finals since 2011 except 2019. Curry was there from 2015 to 2019.This time that they’re out of it, most people feel strange. For them, these are different playoffs. Unfamiliar territory.
But whoa. Nature abhors a vacuum. So in their places, we’ve got other names and other faces. Like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for the Clippers; Trae Young for the Atlanta Hawks; Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris for the Philadelphia 76ers; Devin Booker and Chris Paul for the Suns; Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Milwaukee Bucks; MVP Nikola Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic for the Denver Nuggets; and of course, the Three Headed Monster of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden (is he OK now?) for the Brooklyn Nets. Hey guys! It’s your time to shine.
3. Blowout games
Last season, we were sitting on the edge of our seats. All the games, it seems, were nail biters. Buzzer beaters, OTs, down the wire finishes—the players suffered much, physically. But we the people were lavishly entertained. This year, many of the games are blowouts. We see the might and power of one team asserted over the submissive quality of the other. The outcome of certain pairings was quite easy to see likewise. The Heat were swept by the Bucks. The Celtics showed us one masterful game in their Best of 5, but it was clear the Nets would run over them. The Knicks were downed by the Hawks, same fashion. It seems only the Mavs and the Clippers gave us a good series at 4-3. In general, the outcome was easy to see.
4. History in the making
Because the Boston Celtics, the LA Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat were eliminated in the first round, any of these teams—the Brooklyn Nets, the LA Clippers, the Utah Jazz, the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets—may win their first ever NBA championship if they go all the way to the finals. Likewise, the Atlanta Hawks, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers may finally end their long-time droughts. The Philadelphia 76ers last won a crown in 1983 while the Milwaukee Bucks last owned it in 1971. The Hawks who last felt the glory in 1958 have the second longest championship drought (60 seasons) in the league after the Sacramento Kings (69 seasons).
Want some more trivia about playoffs history and championship achievements of NBA teams? In terms of Playoffs Appearance Streaks, the Portland Trailblazers own it at 8 seasons, followed by the Boston Celtics at 7.
In terms of Playoffs Series Win Streaks, the Bucks and the Nuggets are tied at 3 apiece. When it comes to streaks of Playoff Appearances only, the 76ers and the Spurs are tied at 22 consecutive appearances each, followed by the Trailblazers at 21.
When it comes to Conference Finals Appearance Streaks, the Boston Celtics (13) and the LA Lakers (8) are on top, with Boston owning the record for most number of championship win streaks at 8.
Whoever ends up on top of the heap of these 2021 playoffs and the subsequent NBA finals, you can be sure it will shake the history books. Like a dunk.