The Actual 2021 NBA Finals

Author: Jack Gordon

Editor: Mark Awadallah

It’s crazy how quickly and how often narratives can change with the benefit of only a few days’ distance.Before the conference semifinals began, this article was meant to be a look into the Bucks-Nets series, in anticipation of a heavy-hitter matchup that appeared to be a de facto NBA finals matchup… And then Brooklyn absolutely crushed the first two games and I decided to change the theme to discuss Brooklyn’s guaranteed championship… And now I don’t know what to think. So, I’ll take you back in time to look through some of the things I had written before the series started, after the Nets went up 2-0, and finish with my thoughts now that the series is tied at 3-3.

Prior to the series:

“Whenever a team or a player has never made it to the mountaintop before, people get skeptical real quick. After two straight disappointing playoff losses, Giannis and the Bucks were a team that nobody cared about in the regular season. Even worse, they headed into a first round matchup against a Miami team that embarrassed them in the bubble last season. Lots of people were pushing the underdog Miami pick in this series, assuming that history would repeat itself. Fortunately for the Bucks, things were not the same. The Jrue Holiday piece (not surprisingly) turned out to be an incredible upgrade over Eric Bledsoe. Coupled with a stifling Milwaukee defense and a Miami offense that had nothing to speak of, the series ended in a decisive sweep.

The Bucks looked really, really good in this series. It can be hard to judge a series sometimes when the opponent isn’t very good, but it was just obvious that the defense of players like Giannis and Holiday, in particular, in combination with great team defensive principles and the size of the roster, made them a formidable contender.

The first round series for the Nets didn’t really mean much. It’s hard to imagine that a single soul would’ve picked an injured Celtics squad to win any games, much less drag the series to five games like they did.

In the regular season, the Nets’ big three of Harden, Kyrie and Durant played less than 10 games together. Blake Griffin could barely move in Detroit before he was bought out. Even though everyone expected them to win against the Celtics, there is just no precedent for a team that has played together as little as this Brooklyn team to actually stay healthy and figure it out in the playoffs. After an entire season of these dudes being injured, do we just expect them to be fully healthy as the playoffs continue?

With this being said, when they are healthy, this Nets team has the greatest trio of offensive talent the league has ever seen, and has the potential to be absolutely dominant in every single game.

What I am trying to say here is that these two teams are the best teams remaining in the playoffs this year, and this means that this second round matchup in the Eastern Conference is actually the NBA finals. It is more than likely that these two teams will be duking it out for the right to win the championship.”

After the Nets went up 2-0:

“It’s currently the conference semifinals, aka the second round, of the NBA playoffs. At this point, not only are we potentially watching the finals matchup already, but we may actually be watching a team win the NBA championship in the second round.

It seems as if the Brooklyn Nets will sleepwalk into a championship, leaving a highly anticipated series against the Milwaukee Bucks in the dust.

This was supposed to be an incredible matchup. As scared as people were of the Nets and their big three, watching the Bucks destroy Miami in the first round made it seem like Milwaukee had a real chance to grind out a series against Brooklyn and make it to the finals.

It became even more interesting in the first few minutes of Game 1 when Harden got injured and the Bucks’ size looked unstoppable. By the way, it shouldn’t be shocking that Harden got injured in that first game, simply because he hasn’t been in shape all year.

So with this being said, it really felt like the second round matchup between these two teams was a toss up.

And then the Nets dominated the first two games, and for anybody who hadn’t already, it was time to face a reality: this series is the NBA finals, and the Brooklyn Nets might win the championship in the second round.”

Am I exposing myself for being guilty of overreacting by doing this? Indeed I am. But the point is this: When healthy, it is painfully obvious that the Brooklyn Nets are the better team, yet the series is now tied 3-3. And through all of this, my main ideas before this series, and really before the playoffs even started, still hold. The first is that I still believe this may be the NBA finals. Despite the, at times, perplexing and ugly Milwaukee offense at the end of games, their stifling defense in conjunction with their top pieces (assuming Holiday can play a little better) means that if they can perform exceptionally well this series, they can still make it through an untrustworthy 76ers (or Atlanta) team and through to the finals.

Thinking about the Western Conference--Clippers, Suns, Jazz--as weird as it is, one of those teams is going to be in the NBA finals (Sorry Denver fans). All three teams are pretty good but none of those teams were also overwhelming favorites at any time. The Jazz were a somewhat uninspiring number one seed, and who even knows what to think about a Clippers team that nearly choked in the first round. Even the Phoenix Suns, who actually look scary and are poised to make a real run at a title, in reality would probably not have made it out of the first round had it not been for Anthony Davis’ injury. None of these teams are absolute juggernauts, and none of them are likely favored to beat either a healthy Nets or Bucks squad.

The second point that I had felt passionately about during the regular season is about the health of the Nets. The big three have basically never played together, and there was always at least somebody that wasn’t playing on any given night. Kevin Durant couldn’t put together 10 straight games, Harden was getting injured and was out of shape, and Kyrie Irving was straight up just missing games because he felt like it. Why on Earth were people assuming that on day one of playoff basketball that everybody would just be ready? I just felt like that isn’t how it works, and it is not shocking to me that both Harden and Kyrie have gotten injured now in the second round, completely turning around the series.

The scary part was watching those first two games in this series and realizing that the Nets might be able to just coast to a title, even without all their players. It was scary because it would mean that a team that barely even tried to play together in a regular season just knew they would be better than everybody else, and would just win--rewriting and potentially altering how teams approach the regular season, and threatening to ruin the NBA regular season for good.

But who knows now? With both Harden and Kyrie out, the Bucks just have to win two out of the next three games. Maybe this will be an unlucky year for Steve Nash and the Nets, and will give fans some hope that the regular season still matters. Maybe Kevin Durant will be so good that he carries them through the series by himself regardless of who else is on the floor. After these two rounds, it is hard to pinpoint what the Milwaukee Bucks are. Sometimes they look like a team that doesn’t deserve to win at all, and is banging their head on the ceiling of a superstar in Giannis that can’t contribute in crunch time. No matter what, it has become clear that these playoffs are just an extension of what has been a really weird season in totality.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

Adjustments The Knicks Must Make To Win Game 4

Author: Danny Gardner

Editor: Brian Symons

Game 3 was nothing short of a disaster for the Knicks. Their offense was anemic, their defense was lacking, and the 11-point margin on the final scoreboard didn’t even come close to depicting how badly they were outplayed. Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks were getting virtually whatever they wanted, and they let the Knicks know it too. It is no secret that the Hawks are far more talented than the Knicks, but that does not mean that there are no changes that can be made to give the Knicks a better shot in this series. Benching the atrocity that is Elfrid Payton was a good start, but there are some other things Thibs can do to put the Knicks in a position to win.

1. Make Trae Young work defensively

Trae Young has been a problem for the Knicks defense through the first three games of this series. They simply have no answer for him defensively. However, one way to hinder a terrific offensive player is to make them work defensively, and Trae is a particularly atrocious defender. Set more screens with Bullock to get Young switched on to Rose, Randle, and Barrett. Part of the problem with starting Bullock and playing him so much is that it allows for Young to hide defensively, so possibly exploring more of Burks or Quickley with the other starters could be an option worth exploring as well. Attacking quicker when the switches occur is key. The Knicks (and Randle in particular) are far too slow to attack offensively, and it allows for defenses to set up their traps and their double teams a lot easier. However they do it, forcing Young to work on the defensive end will go a long way toward helping the Knicks slow the Hawks’ star.

2. Use multiple ball handlers when Rose sits

I don’t love having Rose start simply because I love the dynamic of him and IQ coming of the bench together, but I recognize it is a necessity given how bad Payton has been in the starting lineup. The issue however, and this was clear last night, is the team now lacks a primary ball handler when Rose sits. The team tried a trio of Burks, IQ, and Reggie Bullock but that unit was a disaster offensively. When Rose sits, Quickley, Burks, and RJ should be on the court together. This way, you make up for a lack of a primary ball handler by using three secondary ones. Payton puts them in a tough spot, but the Knicks have to be creative in order to solve their point guard problem.

3. Get Randle and RJ going

This one is fairly simple, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett need to make their shots. Randle, who was an All-Star, the league’s Most Improved Player, and will soon likely be named to one of the All-NBA teams, is having an absolutely miserable series. After averaging 24.1 PPG on 46/41/81 percentages, he is scoring only 14.7 PPG while shooting 24/30/86. He has looked tentative, slow, and most concerning of all like he has lost all confidence. He needs to attack before the double comes and get to the line so he can hopefully rediscover his confidence. RJ looked solid in games 1 and 2 but was awful in game 3 and hasn’t shot the ball well overall. One way to get him going I think would be to allow him to initiate more of the offense when Rose and Randle are on the bench. He’s a capable passer in the pick and roll and can be strong finisher especially when attacking weaker defenders. Simply sticking him in the corner and hoping he hits shots is not a great way to get him going when his shot hasn’t been falling. I love his approach and his energy; he just needs to be more involved.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

The 2021 NBA Playoffs

Author: Jack Gordon

Editor: Fran Attie

After a weird NBA season that featured the coronavirus, a shortened schedule, partially-filled arenas, the first ever play-in tournament, and the New York Knicks winning basketball games, the playoffs have finally arrived. And not a moment too soon.

Before we get into all of the first round matchups, let’s make a a quick acknowledgement of the brand new play-in tournament, a system designed to disincentivize tanking, which, coincidentally, likely brought in some extra revenue for Adam Silver after two straight shortened seasons. I liked it. It is very conceivable that teams like the Wizards or Pacers, without the allure of that 10th seed dangling in front of them, would have given up and attempted to tank a few weeks after the trade deadline. Instead, they pushed themselves to perform and gave themselves a chance. The NBA had narratives to discuss throughout the final days and weeks of the regular season, all revolving around those final play-in spots, and had exciting and important games going on that would typically be irrelevant and boring in past seasons. As for the actual tournament itself, we only really had two good games: the two Warriors games. But those were enough to validate the entire tournament’s existence, especially that final game between Memphis and Golden State which felt like nothing short of a Game 7.

I am also going to acknowledge Stephen Curry, probably because I am disappointed that we will be watching Memphis and Utah play each other rather than watch Curry for another few games. He was nothing short of incredible this year. In his final game, Curry had a lot of terrible turnovers, but he also had 39 points. Credit to Dillon Brooks who played great defense on Curry, but Curry still had 39 points. I have never in my life seen a player being guarded the way he was being guarded against Memphis, being face-guarded and double-teamed at half court, and yet… Curry still put up 39 points. If Draymond Green hadn’t panicked on an open layup from two feet away, the Warriors would be in the playoffs. To anyone on Twitter after that play-in game criticizing Curry and saying that he is not a top 20 player in the NBA (this is a thing people are saying), be reminded that not only is he a top 20 player in the NBA right now, he is without question a top 20 player in NBA history.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Utah Jazz (1) vs Memphis Grizzlies (8)

Season Series: Utah Jazz 3-0

It’s hard to imagine that many people are picking the Grizzlies to win this series. Kudos to them for playing into that eighth seed, and kudos to Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks for pulling out that Warriors game. But if you watched them play, they just aren’t that great of a team, and certainly not a team that is gonna go anywhere past this first round. Still, they are extremely young and inexperienced, and it will be interesting to see how those young players do. It is very possible that this Memphis team will retain its core players and continue to improve together much in the Utah Jazz mold, and eventually rise up in the rankings as the young players improve. The Jazz are a somewhat uninspiring one seed, but they are good enough to dispatch of the Grizzlies without much difficulty.

Phoenix Suns (2) vs Los Angeles Lakers (7)

Season Series: Phoenix Suns 2-1

Poor Phoenix. They had so many great stories coming into and throughout this season, including but not limited to: the 8-0 record in the bubble; a Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson leap; a probable Monty Williams Coach of the Year; a shocking regular season that nearly landed them the top seed in the west; an even more shocking Cameron Payne season as a rotation player; and, of course, another year of Chris Paul being great and lifting up a franchise.

All this just to play the greatest seventh seed of all time. And not only that, but probably the most horrific matchup for the Suns in the league. I’m sure that Chris Paul was more nervous than Warriors fans watching that LeBron shot land in the middle-of-three rims and realize that they would have to play the Lakers in the first round.

This is not writing off Phoenix by any means, because they are a great team and have had a great season. If Devin Booker has a great series, Chris Paul is able to do Chris Paul things, and most importantly, Deandre Ayton is aggressive and effective on both ends, then anything can happen. But the unfortunate reality is that the size of the Lakers is a disaster for the Suns, because Ayton isn’t even close to enough to stopping Anthony Davis. On top of this, the Lakers have some great defenders, and while Booker is good enough to score on anyone, LA has players to throw at him and players like Caruso to contain Chris Paul. Oh yeah, and the Lakers still have LeBron James, assuming he can see the rim by that point. The Suns won the season series, but just remember that LeBron and AD were hurt. This matchup really sucks for Phoenix, and I feel bad for Chris Paul if they lose in the first round, because it won’t be his fault.

Denver Nuggets (3) vs Portland Trailblazers (6)

Season Series: Denver Nuggets 2-1

This will be a good series. They have had some awesome matchups in the previous few years in the playoffs, and this series to me is fairly even. The initial instinct is to pick Portland, just because of the injury to Jamal Murray and thinking back to how incredible he was for Denver in the bubble when they made their WCF run. Damian Lillard, as everyone knows by now, has the potential to be great in big moments and has the capacity to light up a series and carry his team, like he did against OKC in 2019. But, the Blazers are also terrible on defense and the Nuggets still have Nikola Jokic. I understand that he may not be the most exciting choice, but there is no shame in acknowledging that he has been the MVP this year, and understanding that he has had a historic year and played in every single game, something almost nobody else can say this season. When Murray went down, I assumed the Nuggets would dive off a cliff and Jokic would lose hold of the MVP. That didn’t happen. In fact, they actually got better in terms of record, and are entering the playoffs with some confidence. Now, it would be dumb to say that the Nuggets are better off without Jamal Murray, and they actually are much worse off because the two-man game with Murray and Jokic was so vital to the team’s potential success in the playoffs, but this being said, Jokic still wreaks havoc with his playmaking and scoring, and this series will come down to the star of each team and which one outshines the other.

Los Angeles Clippers (4) vs Dallas Mavericks (5)

Season Series: Dallas Mavericks 2-1

Ah, the Clippers. So many people were on the Clippers train last year, and as soon as they lost a 3-1 lead in the second round, so many people jumped off the train that the team is actually underrated now. This isn’t to say it’s not reasonable to doubt this team. The Clippers tanked the last few games of the season to squirm into the opposite side of the bracket as the Lakers, which doesn’t bode well for their mental fortitude or confidence. Typically, whether you believe in karma or not, it’s hard to imagine a team being rewarded with a trip to the finals for ducking a team so egregiously. We all know the “Playoff P” stuff, and we know that they have struggled with injuries. So with all this being said, could you make the case to me that Luka Doncic, in a step in his journey towards becoming an NBA great, puts together four incredible games and wills Dallas to an improbable first round victory? Yes. This is definitely in play. Is it likely to happen? Probably not. The Clippers simply have more talent on their team, and while it’s easy to forget that Kawhi Leonard is still there, maybe we shouldn’t. The Mavericks basically only have Doncic and Porzingis, and even Porzingis doesn't provide much at times. Don’t rule out a choke, but the Clippers should be able to win this series. And assuming they do, there is still an easy pathway for them to make the Western Conference Finals for the first time, despite everyone being off the train.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Philadelphia 76ers (1) vs Washington Wizards (8)

Season Series: Philadelphia 76ers 3-0

The Wizards started off the season with one of the league’s worst records, and ended the season with a stretch containing one of the league’s best records. All in all, they ended up in the exact spot that a Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook-led team should have been in, and that’s about as far as this team will go. The organization and especially those two players really deserve some credit for the fight that they put up in the latter half of the season to make the play-in tournament and lock in that playoff spot, and everyone was once again reminded of how special of a player Westbrook can be. However, it’s really hard to imagine him being both productive and efficient enough in the playoffs and in this first round to put up much of a fight against the conference’s top team. Joel Embiid is a dominant force and a tough matchup for Washington. Beal and Westbrook are good enough to explode and maybe take a game or two, but this should be a foregone conclusion.

Brooklyn Nets (2) vs Boston Celtics (7)

Season Series: Brooklyn Nets 4-0

Actually, this series is a also foregone conclusion. The Celtics were already the most disappointing team in the NBA, and then they lost their second best player in Jalen Brown. All year long, this team has been going down by double digits and underperforming. The Celtics were able to beat the Wizards in the play-in game behind Tatum’s 50 points, which was the only pathway to a victory one might have thought of before the game happened. Whether or not Tatum can score 50 points a game, Kemba Walker can be consistent, and Marcus Smart can refrain from shooting bad 3-pointers probably doesn’t matter if the Nets have all, or even most, or even some, of their guys. It might be a beatdown.

If we’re being honest, I think the two biggest plot lines here are these: (1) Whether or not every single player on the Boston Celtics will go give Kyrie a big hug after every single game like they did during the regular season, and (2) how often Marv Albert will confuse Romeo Langford, Aaron Nesmith and Marcus Smart. Oh, and in the Wizards series, watch out for Marv exclaiming “Rui Hachimura with the bucket!” whenever Chandler Hutchinson scores the ball. (Marv is an incredible commentator and a legend by the way, but he and his toupee have been ready to retire for the past year.)

Milwaukee Bucks (3) vs Miami Heat (6)

Season Series: Milwaukee Bucks 2-1

Everybody is really excited to push the Miami underdog pick here. The Milwaukee Bucks have a similar stench to that of the LA Clippers, and people ignore the Bucks because they are unwilling to pick them to win after previous playoff failures. This matchup in particular has this energy because they are playing Miami, who beat them just last season. Jimmy Butler has played himself into All-NBA form once again and Bam Adebayo can likely play decent defense on Giannis. It is not unreasonable or difficult to talk yourself into the Heat winning this series, which would be pretty disastrous for the Bucks franchise. But, it’s also important to remember that this is not the exact same situation as last year. First of all, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson were huge for Miami in the bubble playoffs, and those guys have not been good all year long (Herro has picked it up a bit as of late). And second of all, it’s not like Jrue Holiday is a tiny upgrade over Eric Bledsoe. He is a major improvement, and between the improved playmaking, scoring and defense at that position, I think that the Bucks have the edge in this series.

New York Knicks (4) vs Atlanta Hawks (5)

Season Series: New York Knicks 3-0

There’s a lot of different ways to go in discussing these teams and this series, just like there’s a lot of different ways that the series itself can go. As a whole, it’s pretty clear that the Hawks just have significantly more offensive talent between players like Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic and John Collins. The Knicks don’t really have this offensive talent besides Randle, and maybe one could make an argument that that difference will just be too much for the Knicks to handle. However, it’s also worth pointing out that Julius Randle has absolutely dominated the Atlanta Hawks this year, because they just don’t have anybody to guard him. A very conceivable pathway for the Knicks to win is a great series from Randle, good coaching, and just the inexperience from the Atlanta players coming through. For example, does anybody know what we are going to get from Trae Young in a playoff series? Do we actually expect him to be really good? Maybe he’ll prove himself, or maybe he’ll shoot too much and hurt his team a bit. The Knicks have had a pleasantly surprising season, and it’s possible that the way they grind out games will win them four games against a team that does not grind out games that way. If I had to bet on any series going to seven games, it would be this one.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE