The season is coming to an finish. Trying on the standings, what’s essentially the most stunning file?
Marilyn Dubinski: After wanting so hopelessly misplaced final season, I’m shocked the Pistons not solely leapt out of the cellar, however all the way in which as much as securing a playoff spot— not play-in, PLAYOFF. It’s the leap we hoped the Spurs might make with comparable low season strikes so as to add veterans, however accidents bought in the way in which. Kudos to the job J.B. Bickerstaff has completed. My shock dangerous group can be the Suns. There isn’t a cause a group with their expertise stage ought to greater than probably miss the play-in, particularly with the struggles of the groups within the 9-13 vary.
Mark Barrington: I’m not shocked that the Thunder are the winner of the West, but it surely’s slightly stunning that they smoked the sphere and received by such an enormous margin. I believed the Suns can be higher, however they lack depth and have missed many video games from Durant, making them susceptible. What I believed was going to occur to the Clippers is what truly occurred to the Suns, as a result of the Clippers have been improbably wholesome for a lot of the season, and have had a breakout season from Norman Powell. Essentially the most inconceivable growth within the West needs to be the Lakers, who have been gifted a celebrity on the peak of his powers for peanuts, and may make some noise within the playoffs. I’m not beating myself up for not predicting that, as a result of it was sort of a loopy growth.
The East isn’t almost as stunning because the chaotic West, though it’s a minor shock that the Cavaliers are atop the Celtics. The Celtics are enjoying higher in the direction of the tip of the season, and have gotten to be the favourite to go to the finals from the East. The Pistons deserve honorable point out for his or her unimaginable enchancment this season, and they need to have an entertaining sequence with the Knicks or Pacers.
Invoice Huan: The Clippers and Pistons are the plain picks right here for me. I genuinely thought that LA could be within the lottery this 12 months given the lack of PG (or addition, maybe) and Kawhi’s lingering well being considerations. As a substitute, they’ve an opportunity of outright making the playoffs and will beat anybody within the West exterior of OKC.
In the meantime, Detroit has by some means tripled their win whole from final 12 months, and the season isn’t even over but! Them ending the season as a top-six seed is likely one of the greatest year-over-year enhancements in NBA historical past, and it’s a testomony to Cade’s leap, JB’s excellent teaching, and the additions that have been made final offseason.
Jesus Gomez: I didn’t think about the 76ers actual contenders once they added Paul George, however I believed they’d battle for a top-4 seed within the East. Positive, Joel Embiid is all the time harm and George has not been essentially the most sturdy man, however that they had some respectable depth and Tyrese Maxey to hold a number of the offensive load within the common season. As a substitute, Philadelphia is close to the underside of the weaker convention and sure contemplating a teardown after going all in only a few months in the past.
Devon Birdsong: My first intuition is to go along with the Pistons, however they’ve been quietly constructing over time and simply wanted the fitting coach. Additionally, I’m not satisfied that they’d be a playoff group in the event that they performed within the West. As a substitute, I feel the Rockets all however clinching the 2nd seed is the true shocker of the season. I feel if you happen to requested most, they’d have pegged Houston as a playoff group previous to the season, maybe even as excessive as a 4-5 seed. However the quantity two seed? Even with the enhancements they’d made, that may have felt like an actual stretch up towards the likes of the Thunder, Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Grizzlies (and whoever else randomly surged). There’s an actual query as as to if their seeding is extra the results of different groups slumping slightly than the Rockets excelling (52 wins is a low whole for a Western Convention 2 seed), but it surely’s extremely stunning nonetheless.
Which group have you ever loved watching essentially the most, other than the Spurs, if any?
Dubinski: I don’t suppose I’ve watched a single sport that didn’t embrace the Spurs this season, so if I needed to choose a group whose fashion I admired from afar whereas watching them beat on the Spurs, I’d choose the Celtics. They transfer the ball, shoot threes, drive… all of the issues that originated from the Lovely Recreation Spurs. Oh, they usually have Derrick White. Have I ever talked about how a lot I like him and the way badly I want he have been nonetheless right here?
Barrington: The Nuggets are wonderful, and that’s principally due to one man, and I feel you already know who. Late-season additions have made a number of groups rather more watchable. The Warriors with Jimmy Butler are fairly entertaining, and a few of you might not wish to learn the subsequent half: the Lakers are unimaginable with Luka and LeBron each enjoying nice basketball with good complementary expertise. I’m sorry I needed to say that final half in entrance of a bunch of Spurs followers.
Huan: Watching OKC play guys who appear to be they need to be featured on who he play for? whereas nonetheless profitable has been entertaining, and it’s a testomony to their scouting and training over time. It jogs my memory of the Spurs of previous once they used to draft random guys within the second spherical whom nobody had ever heard of earlier than turning them into rotation gamers. I imply, Aaron Wiggins has a legit probability of being in a few of OKC’s closing lineups within the playoffs, and he’s simply one among many gamers who’ve carved out roles on the league’s deepest group. Who woulda thunk?
Gomez: I usually watch a number of video games from Japanese groups that play sooner than the Spurs and Western groups that play late. The Japanese groups have been principally a catastrophe, however I loved the Path Blazers a ton, particularly throughout their 10 wins in 11 video games in late January and early February. It made completely no sense for a rebuilding group to strive so arduous to win, however as an outdoor observer, watching guys like Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Toumani Camara blossom and Deni Avdija make a leap beneath the supervision of veterans like Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant was extraordinarily enjoyable to look at.
Birdsong: My earlier observe in regards to the Pistons’ playoff seeding however, they’re an absolute delight to look at. It doesn’t really feel like they excel in anyone space, however man, do they scrap for each final level and possession. They don’t shoot a number of threes, however they play tenacious protection, rebound ferociously, move shrewdly, and are bodily as hell. Briefly, they achieve adhering to the basics and enjoying cohesive group basketball. If you happen to haven’t seen them play this season, I extremely advocate having a look.
Are you excited in regards to the playoffs or already wanting ahead to the offseason and subsequent 12 months?
Dubinski: My season normally ends when the Spurs’ does, so I’m wanting ahead to subsequent season and able to get again on monitor after this one was derailed by Wemby’s blood clot. We solely bought 5 video games of him and De’Aaron Fox, which was some priceless misplaced enjoying time collectively, so the earlier they’ll get on any sort of court docket collectively, the higher. Additionally, a number of gamers have proven me some intriguing issues over the last month, so I’m intrigued to see if they’ll stick with it in a smaller position with the group at full energy. I’m anticipating the Spurs to make the bounce the Pistons did this season, and the six-month wait to start out over once more goes to really feel longer than it has in fairly some time.
Barrington: The NBA playoffs are all the time fascinating and mysterious. I’m going to look at a number of playoff basketball, principally of the Western Convention groups, primarily the groups I discussed above. I feel the winner of the East is a foregone conclusion, so I in all probability will solely watch a number of Pistons video games within the first spherical. I feel I’ll in all probability be onboard for the play-in event, as a result of the only elimination format lends pleasure to the video games.
Huan: Oh, I’m completely STOKED for the playoffs to start. Whereas OKC looks like a slam dunk to make the finals within the West, them not having a lot playoff expertise nonetheless leaves some intrigue. To not point out absolutely the cluster of groups behind them who’re all able to making it to the West Finals, and there can be quite a few groups with all-time gamers who will undergo an existential disaster this summer time after getting bounced sooner than anticipated.
The East isn’t as deep, but it surely might characteristic the most effective sequence this whole 12 months between the Cavs and Celtics. It’ll even be enjoyable to see Giannis placed on a one-man present whereas the frisky Pacers and Pistons attempt to rating an upset, and no group will rampage by means of the convention like what Boston did final 12 months.
Gomez: I’ll watch the playoffs and revel in them, as I all the time do, however I’m actually wanting ahead to the offseason and subsequent 12 months. The draft must be thrilling, free company ought to permit the Spurs to spherical out their roster, and we would even see a commerce or two. Greater than something, although, I simply wish to see Victor Wembanyama play once more.
Birdsong: I feel for most individuals the season ends with that of the group they’re rooting for, however I’d prefer to submit that there’s loads of pleasure available in watching the progress of the groups one enjoys rooting towards. Just one group can win all of it, which implies there’s loads of distress to please in in relation to the fates of squads which have earned my distaste. The Western Convention alone gives the potential demise of the Lakers, Rockets, and Clippers. And, after all, it’s all the time amusing watching the annual Knicks Twitter elimination meltdown. There’s nothing like slightly postseason schadenfreude to cleanse the palate of a shedding season, and I, for one, intend to feast.
