If nothing else, one positive thing I can say about the 2023 NBA Playoffs is that it is very exciting. In the past, even some of semifinal matches werre like boring. But this time around, all of the current matchups are exciting and watchable.
That said, quite a few of my predictions have been wrong, and if I were a betting man I probably would have lost a lot of money by this point. So I don't want to do too much predicting henceforth, because sh*t is just too unpredictable these days.
If this were, say, a decade or two ago, you can count on maybe one or two pivotal superstars being injured during the playoffs, maybe. Nowadays, there's so much of that going on that it's becoming impossible to keep count. For instance, when was the last time you heard of Zion Williamson? But his absence alone greatly affected the playoff picture, because you have to believe that the Pelicans would have at least gotten to the second round if he was active, even if they did have to qualify through the play-ins.
Then there are these other guys - like Kawhi, Giannis, Randle, Butler, Embiid, etc. - who all season were supposed to be conserving their strength for this very moment, but on any given night can end up missing a game(s) for health reasons. And of course, none of us can predict like when a player will get injured, no matter what. But now, let's just say it's no mere coincidence that for example the four teams currently remaining in the West are also all healthy.
But again, I don't really want to harp on that kinda sh*t. I just want to enjoy the moment for what it is. Like watching James Harden go off a couple of nights ago was one the most-thrilling NBA experiences I've had in a long time. And yeah, it sucks when like during every game of a series some star player may be injured. But maybe both Butler and Randle will play in Game 3.
HEAT VS. KNICKS
I've been saying for a couple of years now that the Knicks have a complete roster, even before going out and getting Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, which has only made them better. I really like Brunson's game because even though he chucks sometimes, he tends to do so while driving inside, which is a lot wiser than chuckin from the 3-point line. He's the type of rare scoring PG who is able to score points yet still keep his teammates in the game, an art that even Luka himself has failed to master.
But you can't sleep on the Heat either, even if their current roster is relatively aged and mediocre. It's sorta like, say, Mike Tyson coming out of retirement to fight. You know that at this point he's too old to really be competing like that. But at the same time, if given the opportunity, you also know that he's very much capable of knocking an opponent out.
LAKERS VS. WARRIORS
I believe that the NBA wants the Lakers to win this series for a number of reasons. First, I do think that 'Curry fatigue' is a real thing. This is kinda what I warned about awhile ago when half-jokingly suggesting that the NBA shouldn't allow Steph to shoot from certain distances. After awhile, it's almost like him being able to consistently make those complicated three-pointers starts to feel unfair. And my theory is that you have to be a really, really, really likeable superstar, like Michael Jordan, for the NBA to allow you to keep winning championships.
So, enter LBJ. He may not be a Jordan per se, but he is the closest thing to His Airness in terms of overall popularity that the NBA currenlty has to offer. And outside of breaking Kareem's record, it's been awhile since we saw Lebron win anything. So when you look at how LAL basically won Game 1 due to being given more free throws, in Golden State and in a game where players were getting floored left and right, you know, maybe it wasn't hard riggin', but it can be taken as a potential sign.
SUNS VS. NUGGETS
I feel kinda bad for the Suns, because they're clearly outmatched. Both Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray were off in Game 2, and the Nuggets still won. Meanwhile, CP3 was kinda off for Phoenix, and they had to take the L.
This is why I feel the NBA should have given Paul the MVP award a couple of years ago, when he first came to Pheonix and completely turned the franchise around. He has that type of PG game that ages well, but you know, there's only so much you can do against Father Time, when all of your opponents are younger than you are. Also, I would imagine that he's not fully allowed to play his game with KD around, who also likes to play point, as well as Booker. Chris Paul isn't a combo guard; he's a point guard.
But I would still argue, even if they do lose, that Phoenix has to best starting five in the NBA. But it's like sometimes you need a consistent offensive strategy that you don't deviate from also.
CELTICS VS. SIXERS
The Celtics lost Danilo Gallineri before he was even able to put on a Boston jersey, but right now the rest of the pack looks pretty healthy, Robert Williams and all, which imo is their biggest strength, talent + health + youth.
I still believe Philly is the better squad tho, perhaps the best overall in the NBA. But number one, they should have kept Matisse Thybulle specifically out of respect for the possibility that they would eventually face the Celtics, whose strength is in their backcourt. (Like who did they trade him for anyway?) Number two, a friend recently suggested to me that maybe Harden + Embiid isn't compatible. I personally don't feel that way anymore but kinda understand where he's coming from, something I expressed way back when the Beard first went to Philly since, as far as centers go, Joel can be sorta of ballhog, and two chucks don't make a right. But if any of these semifinal series goes down to the wire, it'd probably be this one.
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