2026 Elimination Ruminations: Celtics, Magic, Raptors

BOSTON CELTICS (3-4)

This was a really odd season in Boston.  The Celtics, without Tatum, were supposed to tank or at least be mediocre but instead, as happens sometimes (reference the 1993 Bulls), retained their championship pedigree even without the face of the franchise.  Then Jayson returned sooner than expected.  In hindsight, even though he regained form quickly, that was mistake number one.  The way dudes were playing, you shoulda let them the finish the season out as is.  You see how they almost beat the Sixers, at full strength, in Game 7 without Tatum.

And while we're crying over spilt milk, let it also be known that I'm strong advocate of continuity.  Age factors, salaries, injuries, etc., you don't breakup a proven championship-level team prematurely, just because the star of the show is unable to play or whatever, taking for granted that your braintrust will promptly recuperate.  That's akin to quitting, besides betraying fans, and it's like the whole conclusive lesson of The Last Dance.  I'm not saying that still having Holiday, Porzingis and Horford around would have made a difference. But we'll never know, will we?

You can't tell a team that it's better to just play a season out without a star if he misses important segments and then suddenly at the last second, emerges playable.  Squads like the Sixers and Pistons also took such risks, and for them it paid off.

Embiid, hobbled he may be, emerged as the x-factor against Boston.  So I guess the ultimate lesson in all this, as has been the case for seasons (even when they did recently win a championship), is please Celtics, try to acquire a consistent, playable, above-average big.  Why they decided not to play Vucevic in Game 7, who knows?  And I'm not taking anything away from Queta, who's an overachiever.  But it's time to start taking the paint seriously again.  You can't have like rookies and shit running all roughshod over you during the playoffs.

ORLANDO MAGIC (3-4)

I'm not convinced that the Pistons are the better team.  Deeper, yes.  But what I rather believe is that if Franz Wagner remained playable, the Magic would have took it in five or six.  There really isn't much reason, based on this series, to believe otherwise.

Maxxing Wagner out was a controversial decision, one of the main reasons (besides the fact he isn't a superstar) being his unpredictable health.  Health-wise, he's like a typical European in the NBA - an exceptional offensive force, but you wouldn't want to overplay (or overpay) him.

I'm also having a hard time understanding Orlando's fascination with Wendell Carter Jr.  I've been saying for year and years, even back when the Warriors were still formidable and everyone was still on this smallball shit, that the Magic needed to upgrade in the post.

Instead, they went out and acquired Bane.  I'm not going lie - that move panned out a lot better than I expected, if you consider barely making the playoffs and taking the number-one seed to seven games in the First Round an accomplishment.  Now, Orlando is just a couple of moves away for real.  They need to add a big who's actually effective and figure out a way to mitigate offensive deficiencies during those inevitable times when Franz can't play.

And ideally, they won't lose anyone in the process of rectifying those woes, as what ultimately did the Magic in against Detroit, more than anything, was lack of depth.  About midway through Game 6, dudes just ran out of steam and never fully regained it, outside of Banchero and his skinnier, less-talented yet still effective clone, Anthony Black.  Games 6 and 7, you could see Orlando came out hot (as usual); the Pistons really couldn't do shit about it, but the Magic couldn't maintain the pace.

And by the way whatever happened to Jonathan Isaac?  Remember that dude, a defensive specialist?  If he wasn't all banged up, the Magic would've won.

TORONTO RAPTORS (3-4)

As usual, despite their winning ways, the Cavs have failed to instill confidence in their fans.  They're one of the top 5, if not top 3, deepest teams in the NBA.  Yet the struggled to best a best an opponent with two of its starters missing the entire series.

Let's not forget that besides Ingram, who's a reigning All-Star, Quickley also isn't playable.  So instead, we have dudes starting who I never heard of before, like this cat Shead, proving heroes against one of the most-talented rosters in the league.  This series had sort of that Minnesota vs. Denver quality to it.

Right before that Game 7, I stumbled across a video arguing that the Beard is 'the worst-performing superstar in NBA history'.  Until watching that clip, I didn't really know it was that bad.  In Game 7, if you look at the box score, he didn't really fare well at all, as the only reason he got near 20 pts was due to freethrows.

I know this isn't supposed to be about Cleveland, but it hindsight, that Harden trade looks sorta like one step forward, two steps backwards.  I won't go as far as to say that Mitchell is better at the point.  Harden is a lot better at getting his teammates involved.  But like his cohort, Donovan needs, indeed deserves the ball in his hand.  And that's the dilemma - having two deserving, ball dominant points (similar to when Garland was around) - on top of James' tendency to fizzle out.

That said, out of all the teams eliminated in the First Round, I would say that Toronto is the one that least needs a major roster change (outside of maybe acquiring a Giannis or something like that).  Their team is set, but damn those injuries, especially when it comes to the likes of Ingram. 

2026 Playoffs Elimination Ruminations: Suns, Blazers, Hawks, Nuggets

PHOENIX SUNS (0-4)

Whether or not the Suns' season was a success is a matter of debate.  They fielded what many considered to be a mediocre roster yet were arguable, throughout most of the season at least, the NBA's most surprisingly-good team.  But then, during the postseason, they proved to be more or less a scrimmage team for the defending champions to warm up against.

I think Phoenix plays too much iso.  Their offense doesn't look like it has any type of discernible strategy.  Some other teams are able to get away with that style of play, but the Suns aren't that all-around talented.

The bigger issue - like I don't now what happened to Mark Williams, but they need more of an interior presence obviously, especially on defense.

I would imagine that, given their current roster, the Suns have some money to spend.  So it'll be interesting to see what they do during the offseason  And besides a big, this team could really benefit from like a Jrue Holiday, i.e. a PG that actually knows how to run a team.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS (1-4)

I'm not going to say that Scoot Henderson is a bust, but it's obvious, at least to me, that he isn't a starter.  Still waiting for a highly-touted rookie to breakout after three seasons doesn't sound like a wise bet.

So basically, the Blazers traded Scoot for Dame, reacquired the latter, and it's very much possible that next season, Lillard will be starting over Henderson  That doesn't sound like efficient braintrusting, but then again, neither does hiring a coach who rigs poker games.  And Portland should've known that, unless you're drafting Iverson or some shit, you don't just throw young PGs in the fire like that.

Avidja is a tough, drive-oriented(?) allstar but someone who can benefit from having a teammate more formidable than Robert Williams III or Donovan Clingan downlow.  I'm not dissing either one of them, but you know what I mean.  The Blazers are a wing-oriented team, but their Gs and Fs aren't talented and deep enough to really shake anyone.

Also, how about a round of applause for Holiday?  Dude is old AF in NBA years yet was Portland's best player for at least a couple of games.  He's the consummate professional who, despite his pedigree, doesn't demand to be on a contender and competes, even on a lowly squad like the Blazers.

On one hand, I'm hoping that next season he ends up on a team that can better use his services.  Time isn't really on his side type shit.  But on the other, I'm looking forward to seeing the level-headed, defensive specialist Jrue playing alongside the more sporadic and offensively-talented Dame.  Few backcourts would have balance like that.

ATLANTA HAWKS (2-4)

Even if Atlanta had won the First Round, which for a second there I thought they might, that wouldn't have negated the fact that the Knicks are a much better team.  NYK - as I have said numerous times before - has the most talented starting five in the league, even moreso than the Thunder.

The Hawks traded away Clint Capela - who isn't what he used to be - earlier this season, but now you see the folly in just discarding bigs like that.  They could have at least used a bigger body to throw at the likes of KAT, Robinson and even Anunoby.  Currently, it looks like the biggest guy on this squad is Jonathan Kuminga.  That isn't going to cut it, now that the NBA is trending semi-interior again.

And speaking of busts, what's up with Risacher?  Apparently he isn't injured, yet I didn't even hear his name mentioned this postseason.

Granted, the 2024 Draft has yet to produce any truly exceptional player (besides maybe Stephon Castle), but the Hawks dropped the ball on that one.  They could've at least tried to like trade the pick or something.  And I'm not dissing Zaccharie or anything, but he was amazingly ineffective for a number-one pick.

That said, I can imagine Trae Young got a kick out of seeing his former team get their asses bust like that.  That Game 6 loss is going to linger all the way into next season, even though the Hawks were no match for an inspired Knicks' team.  So it'll be interesting to see how the braintrust adjusts and tries to boost morale during the offseason.  It should probably start with shipping Risacher out who, if nothing else, would arguably benefit from a change of scenery (perhaps even back to Europe).

DENVER NUGGETS (2-4)

All things considered, the Nuggets losing to the Timberwolves isn't overly surprising.  What is is the fact that they lost even though Minnesota didn't have Edwards (and DiVincenzo).  So it's almost like Denver's starters got outclassed by the Wolves' second team.

I don't know what's up with Aaron Gordon.  Apparently he wasn't injured, i.e. unable to play but still proved to be a nonfactor.  Jokic + Murray, imo, are like the best inside-out combination of the 2020s, but Gordon is the x-factor.  When's he unable to play or whatever, it's like Denver loses its grit.

Nikola does get into his fair share of fights, perhaps more than any other player in the league, but he isn't known as a shit-talker media wise.  So the fact that he's been so vocal after Denver was eliminated says a lot, that now, finally a rebuild of sorts is inevitable.  I love Aaron, but he isn't consistent enough these days.  So Giannis, anyone?  I can also sorta picture Kawhi in the equation.

The Nuggets have one of the better braintrusts, so it's unlikely they make a nonprogressive move two offseasons in a row.  Trading Porter Jr. for Cam Thomas, in hindsight, was a mistake.  This isn't a knock against Cam, even though Michael has since proven himself the better all-around player.  It's a knock against the coaching staff for (under)utilizing him the same way they did Porter, i.e. having one of the tallest guys on the court constantly perched behind the 3-point line.  Jokic and the gang have slowly come to realize that they're not going to win again using the same strategy (and players) from 2023.  And speaking of coaches, I bet Mike Malone is getting a kick out of this also.

2026 Play-In Elimination Ruminations: Warriors, Clippers, Heat, Hornets

 WARRIORS (1-1)

Here's how influential Steph Curry is.  Now that he can no longer consistently win games on some miracle 3-pointer shit, the whole entire rest of the league is shifting back towards the inside game.  When he's on, everyone is encouraged.  And when he's off, they come back down to reality.

This is something I've been predicting for awhile.  The world moves in cycles, and it was only a matter of time before NBAers began realizing the value of attacking the paint again.  However, I thought it would be due to emergence of a dominant big, not the decline of Steph and the rise of SGA.

All Steph appears to need, even at this aged stage of his career, is a all-star level player on the side.  In their first game of the Play-Ins, when they knocked off the Clippers, that player was Porzingis.

Kristaps has also been a recurring subject on this blog over the years.  When he's on, he's undoubtedly on of the best players in the league - a European version of Wembanyama(?), if you will   The thing tho is his health is such that you can't even rely on him for two games in a row.  Remember that when the Celtics won their championship is 2024, he didn't even play in like half of the postseason games.

So if you revisit that loss to the Suns, when Curry was walking off the court afterwards crying, shaking the hands of all of his teammates, you'll notice that he sneered at Porzingis.  It isn't his fault, Steph.  If as a team you find yourself relying on Kristaps's consistently for whatevr reason, then you're doomed.  And Golden State's braintrust has long lost their marbles, even gambling on the health of a late-30s Jimmy Butler.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (0-1)

I hope Kawhi isn't forced to leave or whatever TF is going on out there.  I would argue that the Clippers are a better team than the Warriors but unfortunately caught the latter on a hot night, when Porzingis surprisingly decided to show up.

Sometimes, I don't think Leonard even realizes how good he actually is.  He's an alpha who doesn't even need to be on a superteam.  That last championship he won, he was the undisputed alpha.

I understand that he's another player whose health you can't rely on.  But I think the Clippers should continue to build a team that can without him though without adding someone who would minimize his leadership.

So if the Clippers do retain his services, I'm hoping that Los Angeles doesn't go out looking for another perennial allstar unless maybe Giannis.  But if he does leave, it'll be interesting to see him go to the Nuggets, who look like they're about ot embark on some type of rebuild.

MIAMI HEAT (0-1)

I'm just going to go ahead and say it - the Heat could've really used Terry Rozier who, despite not being an allstar, is an above-average scoring point.  I know the temptation must be great, but sometimes when dudes go out doing their thing, wearing x-ray glasses to poker games and shit like that, they need to think about their teams also, like how they'll be affected once you're caught.

You can't just go out and replace a player like Rozier without giving up something in return.  Maybe the NBA will introduce a "Felon's Exception", so that teams whose players are in trouble with the law can get a little bit of extra dough to replace them.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS (1-1)

Entering the postseason, the ROY was Knueppel's to lose, and lose it he did.  Dude just totally disappeared when his team needed him most.

I didn't really see enough of those games to understand why.  Maybe it was the jitters?  Maybe his teammates were so amped up that they ignored him?  Maybe a little bit of both?  I don't know.

Charlotte can be considered one of those teams that's built for perimeter play.  So now you have someone like Banchero - finally being incepted maybe - using his big, strong body attacking the rim instead of playing pansy jumpshot.  Even Franz Wagner was attacking the rim.  And the result?  The Hornets were not equipped to do anything about it.

In any event, taking for granted they'll make the postseason next year, this team needs to focus on keeping Kon involved, even in big games.  Maybe he'll mature enough on his own in the meantime to learn how to make his presence felt.

Finally, the Hornets were able to turn things around and look formidable, after like decades in obscurity, only to win one postseason game due to the opposing squad losing their best player and then getting blown out in the next.  Reason for optimism?  I don't know, but this looks like a team that can finally start focusing on its frontcourt instead of always adding guards.