Now We Talk Playoffs

Before everything is decided, before the last 2 teams are left standing in this warzone that we call the playoffs, even before you decide what you’re going to cook for dinner tonight (Unless you’re one of those people who has dinner planned out for the whole week, still listen up!). Let’s talk and recap 2023 NBA playoffs so far and how surprising and even somewhat underwhelming it has been.

Shall we???

I’m not even going to waste time on the Play-In games, which are an odd segment of games that don’t exist within the regular season or playoff structure. So, we’ll scoot past that blackhole of games that the NBA decided to throw in to give the fringe playoff teams an extended chance at making the ACTUAL playoff. That move initially brought skepticism, but in my opinion they have panned out to be just “OK” after 3 seasons worth. Now, let's get to the first-round of the playoffs! Which has turned out to be the most exhilarating round so far, with some unforeseen upsets and some In the Eastern conference we got to witness Jimmy Buckets (Butler) go full on Michael Jordan against the Milwaukee Bucks for 6 games, including a 56-point effort in Game 4. Then, out in the Western Conference, we had Steph Curry dethroning the Sacramento Kings with demoralizing shot-making and a little help from Draymond with breathtaking stomps [insert Kirk Franklin song here]. Outside of those matchups, the Memphis Grizzlies were just too distracted and undermanned against the Lakers, the New York Knicks won in a seed upset versus the Cavs, as they were the better team anyways, and the rest of the first-round matchups were pretty much chalk.

The 2nd round didn’t have as much thrill and storyline as the 1st round did, I’ll say. Nevertheless, there were some intriguing matchups with Lakers vs Warriors, we saw LeBron and AD overpower a smaller but feisty Warriors team. Once again Jimmy Butler and the Heat outworked a more talented team in the Knicks, to reach the ECF for the 3rd time in the last 4 seasons. Which brings us to our current matchups with the Heat taking on the championship destined Celtics and on the other side of the country we get the matchup of Lakers versus a Denver Nuggets team that has been living on the cusp of making an NBA Finals in the last few seasons. Here is where we have reached the underwhelming segment of the playoffs, due to the Celtics under first year head coach Joe Mazzulla, looking like they forgot they were in the NBA Finals just last season. All credit to Miami’s head coach Erik Spoelstra and the schemes they have thrown at Boston because they are making them look like little brother on the court. Then we have the Denver Nuggets, who in breaking news fashion, have just swept the Lakers. All thanks to Nikola Jokic playing like a two-time MVP, putting up triple-doubles as often as the sun rises and Jamal Murray giving his best Kobe shot-making impressions, when he decides to show up at the beginning and end of games. To say the least, these matchups haven’t been the most competitive as far as winning games goes and cases of some bad basketball being played on the offensive end by the Celtics and Lakers, which has made for an underwhelming Conference Finals. Although, it would be refreshing to see the best but unsuspecting team in the West, Denver Nuggets and the fighting underdogs in the East, Miami Heat, vie for a chance at the Larry O’Brien trophy. A matchup that is almost giving us March Madness vibes, with a top seed (Denver Nuggets) that everyone expected to lose early but forms out and a bottom seeded team (Miami Heat) that just keeps fighting through the gauntlet of talent with their will and grit!

So let’s all stay tuned and see how this seesaw of a NBA Playoffs continues……….