Nik Gable
Reporter
The excessively long NBA regular season has ended and now the players have to start trying on defense.
Regular season basketball lacks the intensity that usually is shown in playoff basketball. In the postseason, better defense is played, coaches engage in tactical battles over best-of-seven game series, and 16 wins gets you the Larry O’Brien trophy. 16 teams enter, eight from each conference, and there are four rounds that decide a winner. The reigning champions are the Milwaukee Bucks, who are the three seed in the east this season. Meanwhile the team they beat last year in six games, the Phoenix Suns, had the best record in the NBA this season.
The Contenders
Phoenix Suns
The Suns finished the regular season with a 64-18 record, a full eight wins better than the next best team. They are the perfect modern basketball team that has great guards in Devin Booker and Chris Paul, who can facilitate and score when asked. They have long, athletic, perimeter wings in Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, who can both shoot from three and defend. Last and certainly not least, they have Deandre Ayton, the perfect modern day big man who can defend the paint and switch out and defend perimeter players on defense. The Suns are already favorites to win the title in my mind, but it will come down to Chris Paul’s health at age 36.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks begin their title defense against the Chicago Bulls in round one. Even though they didn’t have a dominant regular season, they still have most of the pieces that won them the title last year. Most importantly, they still have Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is the best player in the NBA in my opinion. They have the necessary shooting around him to be successful when he’s inevitably double-teamed. The key for the Bucks is their defense, which slipped this year. Last season they were a top-10 team in defensive rating, which measures a team’s overall efficiency in preventing the other team from scoring points. This year, however, they ranked 14th. Whether this is down to complacency or not will be answered in the playoffs.
Boston Celtics
Identity is a huge part of our everyday lives; who we are matters. The same can be said for NBA teams, and in the past 3 years, the Boston Celtics lacked it. They were young and talented but never stood out in one specific area. This all changed midway through this season, when they caught fire defensively. They are the best defensive team this season and everyone knows the mantra, “defense wins championships.” Jayson Tatum is their superstar and they will go as far as Tatum takes them.
That’s it?
Your eyes do not deceive you, I genuinely believe only three teams can win the title. Other teams have significant flaws that I believe prevent them from getting past any of these three teams. Brooklyn lacks depth, the 76ers’ second best player is a playoff choke artist, and the Golden State Warriors aren’t healthy.
Players who matter
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
The two-time regular season MVP and reigning Finals MVP is nicknamed the Greek Freak for a reason. He is a humble superstar who creates multiple highlights a game and impacts the game on both ends of the floor. His patented spin-move is deadly and he’s terrifying in transition. Every playoffs the “best player in basketball belt” goes up for grabs, and Giannis is my favorite to hold onto his title.
Kevin Durant (KD), Brooklyn Nets
KD is a part-time superstar basketball player and part-time Twitter troll. But make no mistake, KD is an artist and the basketball court is his canvas. At 6’11, he can shoot over pretty much anyone. He’s virtually unguardable in big games and has already two championships to his name. He is Giannis’ biggest threat for the best player in the NBA, and despite his team being a seventh seed, Brooklyn’s chances at the title are alive because KD is healthy.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
If you’ve ever walked into a gym and witnessed an old dude playing pickup basketball and somehow dominating despite his slow pace and the fact that he’s possibly carrying 20 extra pounds, that’s Nikola Jokic. Jokic, the reigning MVP, is a basketball wizard at 6’11. He is a unique center/point guard hybrid with incredible post moves, fadeaways, and passing skills. His passing skills rival that of any other player in the league. He’s probably going to win MVP this year again after becoming the first NBA player to post 2,000 points, 1,0000 rebounds, and 500 assists. Jokic’s supporting cast is nowhere near talented enough to win the Nuggets the title, but his unique style and size should provide nightmares for his first round matchup, the Warriors.
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum has arrived as a basketball superstar this season. He is ready to plant his flag and become a top 10 player in the NBA. He is well on his way after leading the Celtics to the best defense in the NBA and posting career highs in points, assists, and rebounds. Tatum no longer feels like a young and up-and-coming superstar. He went toe-to-toe with other stars in the regular season and outdueled them. Tatum and Boston are ready for a finals push.
Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns
The point-god himself is 36 years old and perhaps on his best team ever. Paul is a prototypical floor general — he gets other teammates involved in the offense before attempting to find his own scoring touch. Paul carves up defenses with precision like salt bae carves up meat. His selfless approach to the game is something more young basketball players should learn. What has plagued Paul throughout his career is his bad luck with playoff injuries. If Paul can avoid injuries through whatever means necessary, then he may finally get his first ring.
Storylines to watch out for
Ja and Memphis’ rise
The Memphis Grizzlies shocked everyone this season by posting the second best record in the NBA. Yet, despite this, no one in the NBA media, or myself, feel that they are going to contend for the title. This is the first time with this core group that they are favorites in a playoff series. Their pogo-stick superstar Ja Morant has been battling injuries throughout the season, yet they still posted an amazing record. Ja is fun to watch and so are the Grizzlies, but this is usually not how championship success works for young teams. There is a process of taking their lumps in the postseason and impressing even in defeat. In my opinion, the Grizzlies seem one year away from true finals contention.
The unique Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are unique because no one else in the NBA plays like them. They play without a traditional center and boast a physical style of basketball in which no team wants to match up against. The heights of the five players who averaged the most minutes on the team this season is as follows: 6’8, 6’1, 6’7, 6’7, and 6’5. The Raptors also boast the best coach in the NBA (in my opinion), Nick Nurse. Whether Nurse is getting shoulder massages from Drake, or having to game plan for an opponent, he never seems flustered. The Raptors identity and coach can take them far and that is why I believe they will upset the 76ers in round one.
Are the Miami Heat contenders?
I’ve somewhat already answered this question when I didn’t put them on my contenders list, but I feel the need to somewhat explain myself on this one. The Miami Heat are the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, which means they’ll have homecourt throughout the playoffs. However, something doesn’t feel right with them; they have battled injuries all year and never had time to develop chemistry. Speaking of chemistry, Heat forward Jimmy Butler and head coach Erik Spolstra got into a verbal shouting match a couple weeks ago. They played in the easiest division in basketball and although their record is commendable, there are other teams in the east that have more talent than them.
Nik’s Picks
First Round: West
#1 Suns over #8 Clippers in four games
#2 Grizzlies over #7 T-Wolves in six games
#3 Warriors over #6 Nuggets in seven games
#5 Jazz over # 4 Mavericks in five games
First Round: East
#1 Heat over #8 Hawks in six games
#2 Celtics over #7 Nets in seven games
#3 Bucks over #6 Bulls in four games
#5 Raptors over #4 76ers in six games
Second round: West
#1 Suns over #5 Jazz in five games
#3 Warriors over #2 Grizzlies in six games
Second round: East
#5 Raptors over #1 Heat in six games
#3 Bucks over #3 Celtics in six games
Western Conference Finals
#1 Suns over #3 Warriors in five games
Eastern Conference Finals
#3 Bucks over #5 Raptors in seven games
NBA Finals
#3 Bucks over #1 Suns in six games
I realize that throughout this article I’ve built the Suns up, but damn, it’s hard to pick against Giannis Antetokounmpo in a best-of-seven game series. The NBA has always been a league driven by star talent, and usually the best player wins the title. Giannis remains the best player in the NBA and I think his impact on offense and defense wins out in the end.
